THE ATENEO Blue Eagles faltered to the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors in stunning fashion, 62-69. The penultimate first round game in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 tournament took place earlier tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
With yet another second-half collapse, the Blue Eagles drop to a putrid 1-5 record for the first time in the 21st century. The outcome also marks the only time UE emerged victorious over Ateneo since 2015.
In the spotlight for tonight’s contest for Ateneo were Shawn Tuano and Josh Lazaro, who both racked up 14 points each. Blue Eagle Jared Bahay also scored in double digits, with 12 markers and six assists.
Ateneo immediately entered in a heated battle against the Red Warriors, with both squads quickly answering each other’s buckets in the first quarter. Center Victor Balogun was key in the early stretch, as his efforts on the offensive glass aided in the Blue Eagles’ ability to get a groove. This effort on the boards, combined with great marksmanship by Bahay and Lazaro, allowed Ateneo to jump to a 15-8 lead.
Despite their early cushion, Ateneo put up an erratic display on the defensive end, resulting in an 8-0 run by the Wello Lingolingo-led Red Warriors to end the quarter down one, 15-16.
The momentum remained on the side of UE at the start of the second quarter, with Precious Momowei’s driving layup extending the Red Warriors’ lead to five, 20-15. Undeterred by the massive run, Tuano and Bahay led the charge in blazing an 11-2 counter blitz for Ateneo to take a four-point lead midway through the canto, 26-22.
In a mirror image of how the first quarter concluded, Ateneo once again allowed the Recto-based team to score eight unanswered points, failing to contain Momowei and Jack Cruz-Dumont. As the Blue Eagles also blanked on open opportunities, they exited the first half with a four-point deficit, 26-30.
Coming off the halftime break, the Blue Eagles amped up their defensive intensity by applying a full-court pressure to halt the Red Warriors backcourt from exploding. This adjustment allowed Ateneo to limit UE’s offensive firepower, banking on an 11-4 run to take a 37-33 advantage midway through the third frame.
Ateneo continued to pounce on their opponents’ turnovers by running the ball to produce two Tuano fastbreak layups. Fueled by this momentum, the sophomore then buried a triple to give the Blue and White their biggest lead of the game, 45-35.
The Blue Eagles’ stingy defensive schemes proved to be pivotal in shifting the tide, as the Katipunan-based unit entered the fourth with an eight point lead after limiting UE to seven points in the penultimate quarter.
Storming back into the game, however, the Red and White rediscovered their offensive rhythm from the first half to cut their deficit to four, 43-47. Ateneo’s tendency to commit undisciplined fouls started to haunt them, as they entered the penalty with five minutes remaining. Quick to take advantage, Momowei and Lingolingo exploited Ateneo’s defense, finding success in attacking the rim.
While Tuano’s aggressiveness kept Ateneo in front for most of the period, the Red Warriors eventually took a 60-54 lead behind a couple of Rain Maga and Devin Fikes triples with less than three minutes remaining.
Facing the possibility of going down 1-5, the Loyola Heights-based squad refused to give up, banking on a Lazaro layup and a Chris Koon steal on the defensive end to stay in the game. However, the story of clutch time woes in Ateneo’s season continued to unfold, as they could not buy a bucket in the crucial minutes of the game.
After a missed Koon triple that prematurely decided the outcome of the game, Bahay and Lazaro scored consolation triples to narrow the gap. These efforts would be in vain, however, as John Abate sank his free throws to seal a 69-62 victory for the Red Warriors.
In another contest that seemed winnable for the Blue Eagles, their failure to protect the ball and knock down free throws continued to be a stumbling block. The Blue and White committed 15 turnovers and missed seven free throws, including crucial trips to the line that could have parried UE’s fourth quarter barrage.
The Blue Eagles look to finally get back on the win column against the National University Bulldogs on Saturday, October 5, at 6:30 PM in the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (62): Tuano – 14, Lazaro – 14, Bahay – 12, Bongo – 7, Balogun – 6, Porter – 6, Espinosa – 2, Koon – 1, Quitevis – 0, Gamber – 0, Espina – 0
UE (69): Momowei – 18, Lingolingo – 13, Abate – 9, J. Cruz-Dumont – 8, Maga – 8, Fikes – 7, Mulingtapang – 4, Wilson – 2, H. Cruz-Dumont – 0
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UE: 15-16, 26-30, 45-37, 62-69
Current Standings (W-L):
- UP Fighting Maroons (6-0)
- DLSU Green Archers (5-1)
- UE Red Warriors (4-2)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (3-3)
- UST Growling Tigers (3-3)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-5)
- NU Bulldogs (1-5)
- FEU Tamaraws (1-5)
