THE ATENEO Blue Eagles absorbed a 47-75 drubbing against their neighboring rivals, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, in the second round of University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 87. The one-sided Battle of Katipunan matchup took place earlier tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Blue Eagles’ second-straight blowout loss dealt them a 3-8 win-loss record, placing them at seventh place and further jeopardizing the once-perennial contenders’ postseason chances.
In their worst offensive performance of the season, none of the Blue Eagles scored double-digit points, with Team Co-Captain Chris Koon leading the team with a lowly nine. Shawn Tuano added eight markers, while Andrew Bongo tallied seven points and six rebounds.
Desperate to boost their thinning Final Four odds, the Blue Eagles quickly put the Fighting Maroons on their heels in the opening quarter with their pestering defense, forcing three UP turnovers in the first three minutes. Converting defense into offense, Koon drew first blood from beyond the arc followed by a Victor Balogun follow-up to establish an early 5-0 Ateneo lead.
However, the Fighting Maroons flipped the script after executing an 8-3 run at the latter part of the canto, putting the game at its first deadlock, 10-10. From there, the Katipunan rivals exchanged blows from beyond the arc as Waki Espina and UP’s Terrence Fortea traded catch-and-shoot threes, 15-15. In the expiring seconds of the frame, Ateneo allowed the Diliman-based squad to hustle off of a broken play, handing them the lead, 15-17.
Despite a terrific first quarter start, Ateneo fell to their adversary’s well-executed plays on both ends, allowing a 20-6 UP run aided by the Blue and White’s stagnant offense and flimsy defense, 21-37.
The Blue Eagles showed signs of life when they fought tooth and nail for a 7-0 run anchored by Jared Bahay’s quick five points, 28-37. While Ateneo climbed back to trim the lead to single digits, UP had the last laugh at the end of the first half after JD Cagulangan successfully fished a foul and drained two charity shots, 28-39.
At the start of the second half, the Blue Eagles’ shooting remained cold on top of their countless lousy turnovers and fouls. Meanwhile, UP’s offensive firepower shifted into a higher gear as Francis Lopez, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Harold Alarcon combined for a three-man 15-0 run to bury Ateneo in a 26-point hole, 28-54.
While Bongo and Tuano finally ended Ateneo’s five-minute scoring drought with a seven-point flurry, their quick offensive run barely chipped away at UP’s overwhelming lead, 35-57. Although the two scored 10 of the Blue Eagles’ 12 third-quarter points, UP’s steady defense and shooting allowed the Fighting Maroons to maintain a wide 66-40 lead at the end of the penultimate quarter.
The final frame played out the same way as Ateneo could not find any answers to their co-tenant’s lethal two-way play. Despite UP cooling off on offense, the Blue and White’s inability to overcome their shooting woes while in an already deep hole consigned them to their most lopsided loss in Season 87, 47-75.
The drubbing showed the Blue Eagles’ season-long woes, with the team shooting a putrid 26.9% from the field, while allowing the Fighting Maroons to shoot at a 44.9% clip. The team’s rebounding also continued to be their Achilles heel, getting outmatched by UP in the said department, 42-51.
Despite the historic loss, Head Coach Tab Baldwin talked about the long-term goals of the team and their intent to finish the season strong. “We have three games coming up that we want to make a positive impression on the season,” the tactician stated.
The Blue Eagles seek to shake off the humiliating loss in their next match against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws on Saturday, 3:30 PM, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (47): Koon – 9, Tuano – 8, Bongo – 7, Bahay – 6, Balogun – 4, Porter – 4, Espina – 3, Espinosa – 2, Lazaro – 2, Dela Cruz – 2, Asoro – 0, Reyes – 0, Gamber – 0, Edu – 0
UP (75): Lopez – 20, Millora-Brown – 11, Bayla – 8, Torres – 7, Stevens – 7, Abadiano – 6, Belmonte – 5, Fortea – 5, Alarcon – 4, Cagulangan – 2, Alter – 0, Briones – 0, Felicilda – 0, Torculas – 0, Ududo – 0, Walker – 0
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UP: 15-17, 28-39, 40-66, 47-75
Current Standings (W/L)
- DLSU Green Archers (10-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (8-1)
- UE Red Warriors (6-4)
- UST Growling Tigers (4-6)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (4-7)
- FEU Tamaraws (3-6)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (3-8)
- NU Bulldogs (2-8)
