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.
THE ATENEO Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) experienced a couple of frustrating losses in the second half of the season, prolonging their stagnancy in fourth place.
To start off round two proceedings, the Blue Eagles suffered a 74-84 loss to the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs despite an admirable 29-point outing from Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Kacey Dela Rosa. The Blue and White then proved their resilience by towering above the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors, 81-66, overseen by Sarah Makanjuola’s hitherto season-high 22 rebounds. Following the week-long break, Ateneo endured a slam in the face with a brutal defeat to the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 48-71.
With eyes fixated on securing a spot in the semifinals, the AWBT will need to make crucial adjustments to reach a higher standing in the round-robin portion of the tournament.
1. Triumvirate
Eury: The AWBT’s most recent matchups have witnessed a familiar cast of names filling up the statsheets once again.
Dela Rosa’s expertise as a second-year standout has proven invaluable as she continues to maintain her mastery over her counterparts. As an ultimate driving force behind the Blue Eagles’ scoring efforts, the former UAAP Rookie of the Year has managed to stow away a remarkable average of 20 points and 13 rebounds per game in the last three contests. The leading MVP candidate’s seamless on-court authority, coupled with her offensive finesse and defensive prowess, forms the unshakable bedrock of the squad’s relentless pursuit of keeping their place in the Final Four alive.
Supplementing the star cager, fellow sophomore sensation Junize Calago still manages to command attention in the league with his ability to seize scoring opportunities that ignite the Blue and White on remarkable offensive surges. The guard’s dynamic style of play is primed to deliver a competitive edge, as evidenced by his impressive averages of 15.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Moreover, Calago’s contributions undeniably extend beyond the scoreboard as his deftness in securing possessions adds another layer of impact on the hardwood.
In a resembling echelon of eminence, the Nigerian student-athlete Sarah Makanjuola also introduces an unparalleled dimension to the team’s lineup. While not as fleet of foot as the likes of Calago and Dela Rosa, the center possesses an elusive quality that works wonders for the team. Taking her position as a sentinel in the paint, the deputy big has amassed impressive numbers when crashing the boards—including a staggering total of 22 rebounds in their recent showdown against the Lady Warriors. On top of that, Makanjuola has shown remarkable agility in strategically utilizing her height, opening the door for second-chance points.
It is undeniable that the Dela Rosa-Calago-Makanjuola triumvirate stands as an indomitable force on the court. While there may still be occasional gaps to be filled, the three virtuosos are quick to harmonize their individual expertise to bridge any divides in the team’s collective performance.
2. Ball on the loose
Rav: Ateneo’s key players have lately underperformed in critical moments, exposing yet another flaw in the mighty Blue Eagles—their turnover tendencies. When against tough defensive opponents and in the later parts of games, Ateneo incessantly botches the ball to their detriment, awarding the opposition with easy hoops on the other end. Their recent match with UP illustrated Ateneo’s weakness well, totaling a whopping 38 giveaways in just 40 minutes of play. The Fighting Maroons capitalized on this vulnerability by racking up 31 points off turnovers alone.
These errors were a result of careless plays from the Blue Eagles which could have easily been avoided had they put more emphasis on taking care of the rock. There were countless instances throughout the season where a Blue Eagle was caught making a lazy pass, traveling the ball, or committing a backcourt violation. A clear example occurred nine minutes into the third quarter of their second faceoff against the Lady Bulldogs. In this instance, Jhazmin Joson haphazardly tossed the ball to Dela Rosa near the top of the key, leading to an interception by NU’s Karl Pingol and her well-timed leap. Moments like the aforementioned raise concerns about the players’ decision-making in trying situations. Fortunately, Head Coach LA Mumar’s guidance can easily straighten out this problem with firm instructions to the squad.
Another pressing concern causing Ateneo’s high turnover rate lies in their absence of fluid ball movement. The Loyola Heights-based squad’s propensity to shoot under heavy defense has amplified the difficulty of their games. During the second half of their game against UP, Calago attempted a floater by driving to the paint barricaded by Louna Ozar and Favour Onoh. It was an unideal choice with eleven seconds remaining on the shot clock and players like Katelyn Cancio available for a quick recalibration.
Said play is commonplace throughout Ateneo’s recent contests and has become a recurring challenge to solve. Nevertheless, it can be addressed if the root cause is targeted: the ongoing lack of production and trust in AWBT’s role players. If the team could develop a more cohesive unit and lessen the mistakes on the offensive side of the ball, the Blue Eagles may become a more terrifying team to be reckoned with.
3. More bench blues
Vincent: There is no denying that carelessness with the ball is one of many impediments to the Blue Eagles on the hardwood. However, another glaring obstacle to Ateneo’s title hopes is the squad’s overreliance on its starting unit. While the latest statistics show the first five’s offensive prowess with a league-leading 59.6 points per game, Ateneo’s second-stringers have struggled, placing dead-last in bench points with only 11.4 markers per contest.
Another equally alarming factor is the amount of points the Katipunan-based squad has allowed their opponent’s bench to score—33.2 bench points allowed per contest. A primary example is the second matchup against the defending champions NU. Despite their gallant stand, the Blue Eagles allowed their Sampaloc-based opponent’s second unit to convert 39 markers—nearly half of which came at the hands of leading scorer Kristine Cayabyab with 18.
Things did not fare much better in the second Battle of Katipunan matchup against UP, where the Blue and White produced only seven points from their second unit. Comparatively, their Katipunan neighbors managed to convert 23 bench points, which is coincidentally the same margin as Ateneo’s defeat. This demonstrates that while the starters’ point production is imperative, bench contributions are as important and can prove to be the difference in a game.
Amid this apparent hiccup, the Blue Eagles were able to improve on their bench production, scoring 18 points in their lone second-round win against the Lady Warriors. Despite 23 points from the Recto-based squadron’s second-stringers as opposed to Ateneo’s 18, Coach Mumar’s troops were able to provide timely contributions on the offensive end, helping the starters in the process.
With four games left in the second round, the Blue and White must be able to get everyone going on both ends of the floor. While the squad remains in contention for the Final Four, a sense of urgency is needed to resolve the glaring issues if the Blue Eagles seek to go up the standings and make a deep playoff run.
This week’s games
Wednesday, November 8, at 9:00 AM, vs. Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons at the Mall of Asia Arena
Sunday, November 12, at 11:00 AM, vs. Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
Current Standings (W-L)
- NU Lady Bulldogs: 9-1
- UP Fighting Maroons: 8-2
- UST Lady Tigresses: 7-3
- ATENEO Blue Eagles: 6-4
- DLSU Lady Archers: 4-6
- ADU Lady Falcons: 3-7
- FEU Lady Tamaraws: 3-7
- UE Lady Warriors: 0-10
