Following their semifinal finish at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Women’s Basketball Tournament, the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) is back. This weekly series will analyze the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ state as they aspire to win it all.
WITH TWO games left in the elimination rounds, the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) booked their second consecutive trip to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four after an impressive week.
The Blue Eagles had a perfect 2-0 slate in their most recent pair of games against the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons and the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws. Team Captain Jhazmin Joson steered the squad with a career-high 32 points and eight three-pointers in their 69-61 victory over their Ermita-based counterparts. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Kacey Dela Rosa’s all-around game powered the Blue and White in their Final Four-clinching game against FEU. The Season 85 Rookie of the Year tallied 27 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks—shooting an exceptional 79% from the field.
As the second round wraps up, the Blue Eagles look to build on their momentum as they continue their quest for their third women’s basketball title and their first championship since UAAP Season 70.
1. Seeding scenarios
Vincent: Entering the penultimate day of eliminations, the AWBT find themselves in the fourth spot with an 8-4 win-loss record. Prior to the squad’s matchup against the Lady Tamaraws last Sunday, the Blue Eagles needed a victory or a loss by the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers to book their place in the Final Four. With either outcome enough to book the final playoff spot for Ateneo, Coach LA Mumar’s troops got down to business—dispatching FEU to confirm their playoff appearance. As the semifinals draw near, let us look at potential positions in the standings for Ateneo.
Heading into today’s game against DLSU, the Blue and White are a game behind their Katipunan neighbor UP and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Tigresses, who both share identical 9-3 records. While the squad is already assured of a Final Four spot, the Blue and White are looking to move higher up in the standings.
Ateneo can possibly move as high as the second spot if it wins its last two games (vs. DLSU and UST). However, the squad needs two losses by UP (vs. UE and NU) and an FEU victory over UST if it seeks to have a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals.
A three-way tie will occur if the Blue Eagles notch two victories and both UP and UST split their final pair of games—with quotient being applied if such a scenario occurs. As of writing, the Fighting Maroons have a +14 quotient over the Loyola Heights-based squad, while the Lady Tigresses hold a +23 advantage with their 90-67 victory over Ateneo in the first round.
With these permutations in mind, the Blue Eagles’ last two games will undoubtedly be crucial if they seek to be in the best position possible come playoff time.
2. Never too late
Alfonso: After a stellar 32-point performance against the Lady Falcons, Joson has proven herself to be a reliable scorer that the Blue Eagles may depend on as they enter the Final Four.
Although the AWBT skipper’s scoring outputs throughout the season have been inconsistent, she has made up for it by providing efficient numbers with 6.8 assists and 6 rebounds per game in the first five games of the second round.
Joson’s consistent offensive versatility may drastically improve the Blue Eagles’ firepower, especially since the playoff games may get tougher. Outside of Ateneo’s Dela Rosa-led interior offense, Coach Mumar may need to restore his starting point guard as a key offensive contributor. The Gilas cager’s ability to score from the perimeter when needed is a necessary weapon for the Blue Eagles. In addition, her propensity to light up any defense when in a rhythm can be what the Blue Eagles need to separate themselves from the pack.
With Final Four-bound teams such as UP and NU entering the fray, an offensive masterclass from Joson throughout the remainder of the season could be the key for Ateneo to bring gold back home to Katipunan.
3. Now or never
Alfonso and Vincent: While Joson’s leadership on the hardwood and shooting ability are imperative components to the Blue Eagles’ success, there are similar impediments that Ateneo must rectify as the Final Four draws near.
The last Weekly Takeaways touched on the Blue and White’s lack of bench production, which continued to be evident in the last two games. Throughout that span, Ateneo’s second-stringers converted a combined 14 bench points. For comparison, Adamson’s bench scored 14 points, while FEU converted 32 markers from their second unit, 18 of which in the latter came from leading scorer Joann Nagma. Moreover, the turnovers also continued to pile up for the Katipunan-based squad, giving the ball up a total of 18 times in each of their last two matchups.
Allowing the Ateneo offense to flow through more scoring options can remedy these offensive lapses. Players such as Sarah Makanjuola and Sandra Villacruz could provide valuable offensive output when needed, as they have proven to be double-digit scoring options for the Blue and White.
There is also potential for Ateneo’s bench to step up in the Final Four. Guards Aishie Solis and Mille Gastador could serve as solid spark plugs that can step up on defense while providing valuable minutes on offense.
Arguably the biggest step the Blue Eagles must make is to focus on winning each game. They must maintain their momentum as they play the last two matches of the second round. Focused solely on making the Final Four last year, Ateneo is now geared towards a championship bid, which is why maximum confidence is imperative as they enter the final stretch of this season.
This week’s games
Wednesday, November 15, at 11:00 AM, vs. De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
Saturday, November 18, at 9:00 AM, vs. University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Tigresses at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
Current Standings (W-L)
- NU Lady Bulldogs: 11-1
- UP Fighting Maroons: 9-3
- UST Lady Tigresses: 9-3
- ATENEO Blue Eagles: 8-4
- DLSU Lady Archers: 5-7
- ADU Lady Falcons: 3-9
- FEU Lady Tamaraws: 3-9
- UE Lady Warriors: 0-12
