THE ATENEO Blue Eagles displayed utter dominance against the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors, 81-52, in their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 debut. The contest took place earlier today, September 24, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in the City of Manila.
Leading the way for the Blue Eagles was Player of the Game, Kacey Dela Rosa, who commanded the team on both ends of the court, recording a stat line of 29 points, nine rebounds, five steals, and four blocks—all while shooting an efficient 72.2% from the field. Alongside her were Sarah Makanjuola, who finished the game with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals, and Kate Cancio, who contributed 11 points off the bench.
This win places the Blue and White as the sole owners of the tournament’s top seed while the rest of the teams await their opening games.
At the early stage of the game, the Blue Eagles took control as they scored three consecutive shots in the paint to take the lead, 6-0. In response, the Lady Warriors quickly clawed back five points to narrow the scoreline, backed behind a Rachel Lacayagna layup and steal, 6-5.
Both teams then began to trade blows as the quarter progressed, refusing to give up a substantial lead. For Ateneo, Dela Rosa dominated inside, scoring through contact and relentlessly chasing after offensive rebounds to keep the ball alive. This upward momentum, however, was momentarily dashed by UE’s Aliyah Ronquillo, who hit a pair of three-pointers to tie the game at 15-15.
Despite the tight scoreline, the Blue Eagles continued to attack the paint, creating easy scoring chances and getting to the free-throw line. This sequence gave Ateneo a slim lead at the end of the opening frame, 21-18.
Determined to regain control of the matchup, the Blue Eagles went on an 8-2 run to open the second quarter, highlighted by three layups from Dela Rosa, forcing an early timeout for the Red Warriors, 29-20.
Building on this newfound momentum, the Blue Eagles began to dominate on both ends of the court, playing stout defense and attacking on the fast break. This rapid-paced offense led to plenty of quick scoring opportunities in the paint and on the charity stripe, further widening the lead, 36-20.
Despite the Lady Warriors’ best efforts in the closing stages of the canto, it was clear that their previous fouls proved to be a massive disadvantage on the defensive as the Blue Eagles refused to back down in the paint, cementing a massive lead to end the half, 45-27.
Entering the third frame, Ateneo started to feel the effects of fatigue, being late on consecutive threes by UE, 45-33. Sensing urgency, the twin-tower duo of the Blue Eagles made their presence known, as Dela Rosa and Makanjuola extended the lead to 54-35 through multiple attacks to the rim.
However, the Blue and White failed to close out on jumpers by UE’s Ashley Trinidad and Rachel Lacayanga, with Cancio mitigating the damage by draining two free throws, 56-39. Dela Rosa and Cancio made their presence known with a putback, followed by a steal and a layup, ending the quarter with a comfortable cushion, 60-41.
Beginning the final quarter, the Katipunan-based unit found themselves revitalized with an offensive punch. The Blue Eagles and Lady Warriors traded baskets to begin, highlighted by an alley-oop conversion connection from Erica De Luna and Dela Rosa, pushing the lead to 64-45. Hannah Lopez then piled on to Ateneo’s flurry, recording Ateneo’s first three-pointer, with Dela Rosa fueling the offense with another inside attack, 71-45.
The next four field goals saw the Blue and White pressure the painted area, with Cancio, Dela Rosa, and Monique Fetalvero benefiting most from it. With minutes left in the quarter, Ateneo fouled UE’s Rizza Salise, who sank in two charity shots, which ended a 15-point unanswered run by Ateneo, 79-49. After trading open buckets in the last minute of the contest, the Blue Eagles finally put the match to rest in their favor, 81-52.
The Blue Eagles will look to replicate their success against the Adamson University Lady Falcons on September 28, Sunday, at 7:00 PM in the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Box Scores:
Ateneo (81): Dela Rosa — 29, Makanjuola — 15, Cancio — 11, Oani — 7, Villacruz — 5, Fetalvero — 4, Malagar — 3, Lopez — 3, De Luna — 2, Olivenza — 2
UE (52): Ronquillo — 11, Lacayanga — 10, Vacalares — 7, Yanez – 6, Buscar – 4, Onate – 4, Gomez – 2, Salise – 2, Lituania – 2, Dalguntas – 2, Trinidad – 2
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UE: 21-18, 45-27, 60-41, 81-52
Current Standings (W-L)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-0)
- UST Growling Tigresses(0-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (0-0)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (0-0)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (0-0)
- DLSU Lady Archers (0-0)
- AdU Lady Falcons (0-0)
- UE Lady Warriors (0-1)
