With this year’s University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball Tournament in full force, this weekly series will track the performance of the Ateneo Blue Eagles on their journey back to the upper echelons of the UAAP.

FROM ASCENDING highs to crushing lows, the Ateneo Blue Eagles followed their 0-3 start by splitting their next two games to sit at the sixth seed near the halfway mark of the eliminations.

Ending their losing skid euphorically, the Katipunan-based squad captured their first victory of UAAP Season 87 by staving off a vigorous fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 60-51.

However, the Blue Eagles were not able to maintain momentum, as they recently absorbed a heartbreaking overtime loss to the then-winless Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, 65-66.

As the first round nears its conclusion, the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team (AMBT) looks to improve on their shortcomings and accentuate their strengths in an effort to push themselves back into Final Four contention.

Standing their ground

Gab: Despite the 1-4 record, the Blue Eagles’ defensive prowess throughout Season 87 has continued to be the biggest highlight of their campaign so far.

Ateneo has proved to be a menace on the perimeter with the team-oriented system instilled by Head Coach Tab Baldwin. The Blue and White’s steadfast effort to pressure opposing offenses has been evident, as the team averages a league-low 21.0 perimeter points allowed as of September 29th. The defensive activity of the team’s rotating point guards has also become a consistent sight for the Blue Eagles—one that has proven to help tremendously in disrupting other teams’ flow and pace.

One aspect on the defensive end that has led to Ateneo’s lockdown coverage is the number of errors they force. The AMBT is currently ranked second in forced turnovers and third in steals, averaging 16.4 and 7.2, respectively.

These statistics proved particularly evident during their games against AdU and FEU. In the contest versus the Soaring Falcons, Ateneo racked up nine steals in comparison to Adamson’s one, forcing eight more turnovers overall. In their game against FEU, the Blue Eagles turned the ball over eight times while pressuring the Tamaraws to commit 18 of their own.

For the Loyola Heights-based squad, this continued ability to generate steals on defense while also protecting the ball on offense will be key in taking on the guard-oriented University of the East (UE) Red Warriors and National University (NU) Bulldogs.

Whether or not the Blue Eagles continue this success in the second round will be a significant factor for them to sneak back into the playoff conversation. As teams start to adjust their gameplans around Ateneo’s defensive strategies, the Blue Eagles must find a way to stick with their disruptive style of defense while not becoming too predictable.

It must be noted that by no means is this defense flawless, with Ateneo’s rebounding woes haunting them time and time again. Playing with a much smaller lineup as compared to other UAAP squads, the Blue Eagles regularly get outrebounded by double figures. Ateneo also finished dead last in points in the paint allowed as they struggled to contain big men like Cedrick Manzano and Mo Konateh, giving up easy close-range buckets and second-chance opportunities.

As Ateneo enters a critical stage of the tournament, it will be of much importance to augment their frontcourt defense to better compete with teams holding better records.

If there can be one thing learned from Ateneo’s defensive efforts so far this season, it is that they play with as much heart and determination as any other team in the UAAP. In order to add more wins to their name, the Blue Eagles will need to both maintain their defensive aptitude and improve their offensive game as the season progresses.

Discovering weapons

Ravi: Turning our attention to the offensive end, the Blue Eagles have responded to their scoring woes at the start of the tournament with vast improvements. Shining as a beacon of hope for the Blue and White is their increased output from the three-point line, knocking down nine and 13 triples against AdU and FEU, respectively.

Ateneo largely benefited from the return of Chris Koon and the addition of Kyle Gamber into the rotation. The two guards’ capability to bury treys at a high volume has become a game-changer, effectively countering the zone schemes implemented by opposing teams. Increasing Gamber’s minutes throughout the season could be a valuable ploy that must be explored to further spread the floor for the Blue Eagles.

Meanwhile, Quitevis has also answered the call from the Ateneo faithful, showcasing improvement in his shot-making ability. The tenured veteran’s newfound aggressiveness in attacking the basket was pivotal against FEU, especially in the crucial moments of the game where Ateneo could not buy a bucket. Quitevis’ growing confidence in scoring the basketball will add depth to Ateneo’s offense and place less weight on the shoulders of the team’s main scorers.

While Ateneo has started to find its offensive rhythm, they are still prone to scoring droughts, compounded by their continued struggles from the charity stripe. While managing to convert at a more efficient rate (61.9%) against the Soaring Falcons, the Blue Eagles were once again haunted by atrocious free throw numbers against the Tamaraws. In a game that saw Ateneo lose by a mere point in overtime, missing 13 free throws is unacceptable as these chances could have easily swung the game in their favor.

Instead, the Blue Eagles have placed themselves at a 1-4 hole in a league where claiming every win matters. As the Blue and White prepare to face a red-hot UE squad and a desperate NU team, the failure to capitalize on their trips to the line and utilize their recently discovered offensive weapons may further jeopardize their shrinking postseason odds.

Grace under fire

Thea: In the last two games, the Blue Eagles have shown a dismal tendency of breaking their composure whenever their opponents rev up their offensive aggression. While their veteran leadership can create an air of confidence for the team in the earlier quarters, the Blue and White begin to struggle as the tension rises. With the team’s accumulating frustration as the game progresses, unforced turnovers and rushed shots begin to plague Ateneo’s offense as seen in their last two games.

Charging ahead with remarkable energy to build a double-digit lead, the Blue Eagles commanded the first stages of the match against the Soaring Falcons. However, Adamson surged with renewed spirit from the onset of the final frame to apply intense counter-pressure on the Blue and White.

With Ateneo losing some of the sharpness that defined their earlier play, Adamson capitalized on this shift to narrow the gap. Despite posting a 50-36 margin by the end of the third quarter, the Blue Eagles allowed three quick Adamson baskets and then six straight points from the hands of Manzano. Even after Coach Tab’s prompt timeout, Ateneo struggled with more turnovers to enable Adamson to stay within striking distance.

Fortunately, the Blue Eagles hung on to secure their first victory despite only scoring 10 points in the final frame. This winning momentum was short-lived, however, as their loss of composure against the Tamaraws ultimately led to a heartbreaking collapse. The Morayta-based team notably tightened their defense down the stretch, particularly forcing Ateneo to seven consecutive missed field goals in one key juncture in the second half.

While the Blue and White displayed remarkable fortitude by pushing the game to overtime, pressure-packed moments fazed Ateneo from converting crucial free throws and high-quality looks. Exploiting the rattled Blue Eagles, Jorick Bautista generated a solo eight-point run in clutch time that became the proverbial dagger to Ateneo’s chances. This relentless pressure shown by the Tamaraws followed through to the finish, overpowering all of the Blue Eagles’ offensive efforts to deal them an agonizing defeat.

This late-game crumble only shows that if Ateneo cannot learn to thrive under pressure and embrace challenging situations, their chances of success will continue to dwindle as they enter the final stretch of eliminations.

This week’s games:

Wednesday, October 2, 6:30 PM, vs. UE Red Warriors at the Smart Araneta Coliseum

Saturday, October 5, 6:30 PM, vs. NU Bulldogs at the Mall of Asia Arena