THE ATENEO Blue Eagles remained unblemished in their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 campaign after dismantling the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in a virtual Battle of Katipunan, 2-0. With the victory, the Blue Eagles are headed to the Season 87 second-semester NBA 2K tournament Final Four as the top-seeded Group A team.
The concluding day of the group stage round took place this afternoon at the Quantum Skyview Deck of the Gateway Mall 2 in Quezon City.
Game 1
Following a stellar season debut, Luis Jovellanos (Boston Celtics) started in Game 1 for the Blue Eagles against UP’s Harvey Buban (Oklahoma City Thunder). At the beginning of the match, Jovellanos utilized the Kristaps Porzingis-Jayson Tatum pick and roll to find easy inside buckets. However, Jovellanos faced resistance as Buban went for screens to free up driving lanes for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which gave the Fighting Maroons a 9-8 lead. Following a timeout, Jovellanos upped his offensive production by employing shots near the rim, with the Blue Eagle sinking Jaylen Brown free throws to end the quarter, 17-13.
Jovellanos carried his momentum into the second frame as he utilized the Celtics’ high three-point rating to claim a five-point lead, 22-17. The Atenean also brought the same intensity on defense, banking on the Celtics’ length to intercept multiple passes. Following a steal, Jovellanos drained a Porzingis transition three, which gave Ateneo a nine-point advantage, 28-19. After the big play, the Blue Eagle leaned on a plethora of Tatum isolation plays and spin moves to get in the paint, eventually closing the half with an eight-point lead, 32-24.
With his team fresh off the halftime break, Jovellanos kept using the same spin move with Tatum for easy points from point-blank range. The Blue Eagle also showed a determined effort on the defensive end, disrupting multiple passes by UP in the paint. Using star player Tatum, Jovellanos executed a hop step under the basket to maintain a comfortable distance at end of the third quarter, 47-35.
Jovellanos continued utilizing the pick and roll throughout the final canto, which frustrated his opponent. Riding his surge, the Blue Eagle built a commanding 56-43 lead at the two-minute mark. Jovellanos ultimately found a cutting Porzingis for an easy two, putting his rival away and securing a 60-45 win.
Game 2
In a reversal of team picks, reigning champion Paolo Medina (Thunder) squared off against UP’s Andreus Javier (Celtics) in the second match. Both teams engaged in a gutsy back-and-forth affair early in the frame as Gilgeous-Alexander’s two-pointers rivaled the Celtics’ diversified offense, 8-7. Despite the strong start, Medina struggled to convert from the interior, as UP snatched the lead with a gutsy Tatum drive on the other end, 13-14. Responding with urgency, the Blue Eagle commanded a signature Gilgeous-Alexander mid-range bucket to retake the lead at the end of opening frame, 15-13.
Ateneo soared to an emphatic 11-2 blitz at the onset of the second quarter as Javier’s defense had no answers for Medina’s pick-and-roll actions and corner triples, 26-18. Continuing the Thunder guard’s stellar play, Medina capped off the run with a well-contested Gilgeous-Alexander top-of-the-key triple, causing UP to call timeout, 29-18. Determined to spark a comeback, Javier banked on Jrue Holiday’s versatile production to halt Ateneo’s surging run. Undeterred by UP’s growing rhythm, Medina maintained a tight hold of the lead with crucial defensive stops at the backend of the half to maintain a slim 35-29 advantage.
Looking to redistribute the offensive load, Ateneo’s Medina heavily relied on Chet Holmgren’s size in the paint and wing three-point conversions to soar to an imposing 46-33 lead at the start of the second half. With the Fighting Maroon struggling to find his spots, the Blue Eagle team captain continued to leverage Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring mastery to keep Javier at bay at the conclusion of the third salvo, 50-40.
The same story unfolded in the final frame as UP continued to misfire from distance and struggled to match Ateneo’s set plays. Capitalizing on UP’s offensive woes, Medina continued to push the pace with Alex Caruso’s interior actions supplementing Gilgeous-Alexander’s elbow jumpers to ultimately cruise to a dominant 64-54 win and nab a sweeping series victory.
Looking to make yet another deep postseason run, the top-seeded Blue Eagles will take on the Adamson Soaring Falcons in a pivotal Final Four matchup tomorrow, May 16, at 12:45 PM in the same venue.
Game Scores:
Ateneo-UP (2-0): 60-45, 64-54
Group B Standings (Points Overall):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles: 3-0 (9)
- DLSU Green Aces: 2-1 (6)
- UP Fighting Maroons: 1-2 (3)
- FEU Tamaraws: 0-3 (0)
