THE ATENEO Blue Eagles survived a scare from the Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas (PCU-D) Dolphins, 93-89, earlier today at the Tanduay Gym in the City of Manila.
This victory puts the Blue Eagles at a 4-1 win-loss slate to keep their spot at second place in Group A of the Asiabasket 2025 College Campus Tour.
Ian Espinosa was named Player of the Game anew after he led the Blue and White with 17 points and four assists. Kyle Gamber also chipped in 12 points and tallied three steals in their thriller against the reigning Universities and Colleges Athletic League finalists.
Entering the battle as the league’s top scoring team, Ateneo displayed an offensive masterclass early on as Kymani Ladi and Gamber drilled two early threes, 6-2. Divine Adili then sank a pair of quick buckets to pressure PCU-D with an added 5-0 run, forcing them to call timeout, 11-2.
Immediately after the break, the Blue Eagles’ adversaries went on a quick run courtesy of Kingsley Anaba and Nugfor Tita’s inside production, 16-10. With Ateneo’s lead shrinking, Espinosa responded by finding open shooters, breaking down the Dolphins’ defense after finding Sam Reyes for a corner three, 29-19. Continuing their aggressive offensive tempo, Ateneo took advantage of PCU-D’s foul trouble, earning easy free throws to end the first quarter, 31-23.
Ateneo ran their half-court sets effectively at the onset of the second, with the team’s playmakers Espinosa and Jared Bahay finding open shooters to build a nine-point lead, 38-29. With the Blue Eagles pulling away, the Katipunan-based team struggled against Anaba’s offensive exploits, resulting in a quick Dolphins surge, 43-37.
With their opponents reducing the lead, the Katipunan-based squad got into foul trouble due to Anaba and Tita’s physical playstyle. With momentum on their side, the Dolphins’ Joshua Dino hit a three to cut the Blue Eagle lead down to one, 47-46. Despite their adversaries’ offensive run, the Blue Eagles scored three quick points to end the first half with better conviction and a four-point lead, 50-46.
While Ateneo entered the second half with momentum, PCU-D quickly grounded the Katipunan-based unit with their relentless defense, which caused disarray to the Blue Eagle attack. Three turnovers at the onset of the third quarter saw the Blue Eagles lose the lead for the first time in the match following a layup by Anaba, 50-53.
Errors and indecisiveness continued to haunt the Blue and White, as the team struggled to create quality looks, scoring only one point throughout the frame’s first four minutes. On the defensive end, fouls continued to mount for the Katipunan-based squad, allowing the Dolphins to maintain their advantage, 56-57.
It was Thirdy Ebdane who turned the tide for Ateneo, as the scoring guard’s offensive flurry gave the Blue Eagles life with four minutes remaining in the third. With Ateneo finally adapting to the uptempo pace of the matchup, an Ebdane fastbreak layup and a creative finish by Espinosa restored control for the Blue Eagles, 63-57. Ebdane tacked on another off-steal layup, keeping Ateneo ahead at the end of the third quarter, 66-61.
The Blue Eagles kickstarted the fourth with renewed vigor, blitzing the Cavite-based squad with an 8-0 run spearheaded by back-to-back threes from Gamber and Bahay, 74-61. Ebdane continued to showcase his offensive prowess, dropping consecutive buckets to give Ateneo their biggest lead of the match at 79-65.
However, the Dolphins remained steadfast in pursuing a comeback, with Ram Mesqueriola heating up from deep to keep PCU-D within close distance, 70-81. Bahay quickly responded with a three-point basket of his own, but another make from Mesqueriola brought the Blue Eagle lead down to seven, 80-87.
Eager to close out the match, a well-executed pick-and-roll play resulted in an Adili bucket from point-blank range, which extended the Ateneo lead to nine, 89-80. However, two-straight threes from Mesqueriola cut the Ateneo advantage to a single possession with one minute remaining, 89-86.
With the game on the line, steady veteran Espinosa proved to be the difference maker, as he attacked the post and scored a tough bankshot to give the Blue Eagles much-needed cushion, 91-87. Still keeping the Dolphins in contention, Tita’s basket brought the margin back to two points with 40 seconds remaining in regulation.
PCU-D had an opportunity to take the lead in the dying seconds of the intense matchup, following an unsuccessful offensive sequence for Ateneo. However, multiple missed attempts by the Dolphins were eventually cleaned up by an Adili defensive rebound with six seconds left. After being intentionally fouled, Adili sank back-to-back attempts from the charity stripe in unfazed fashion, sealing a 93-89 hard-fought victory for the Blue Eagles.
To secure a playoff spot, the Blue Eagles will be set on beating the University of the East Red Warriors on April 26, at 3 PM, in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (93): Espinosa – 17, Gamber – 12, Ebdane – 11, Adili – 9, Bahay – 8, Ladi – 7, Reyes – 6, Tuano – 6, De Luna – 4, Espina – 4, Baruwa – 4, Ong – 3, Asoro – 1, Edu – 1
PCU-D (89): Anaba – 21, Ram – 19, Tita – 11, Bagatnan – 10, Dino – 7, Pronda – 7, Silongan – 6, Catayong – 4, Opone – 2, Bajao – 2
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-PCU-D: 31-23, 50-46, 66-61, 93-89
Current Standings (W-L):
- DLSU Green Archers (3-0)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-1)
- San Beda Red Lions (2-2)
- UE Red Warriors (1-2)
- EAC Generals (1-2)
- PCU-D Dolphins (0-2)
- SCC Saints (0-2)
