THE ATENEO Blue Eagles prevailed in a heated duel against their archrival, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, 81-74, in their first University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 matchup. The contest was held earlier today, October 5, at SM Mall of Asia Arena, City of Pasay.
This win puts Ateneo at a 4-0 record in the standings, remaining as the only unbeaten team in the UAAP and already matching their overall win total from Season 87. This result also serves as the Blue Eagles’ first victory over the Green Archers since 2023.
Rising above the pressure, Ateneo’s one-and-done stars, Kymani Ladi and Dom Escobar, and veteran forward Shawn Tuano all combined a total of 45 points, tallying 15 apiece.
Off to a hot start, the Blue Eagles blitzed the Green Archers with a 7-0 start powered by layups from Divine Adili and Waki Espina, and a shot from Ladi beyond the arc. Despite Green Archer Mike Phillips’ attempt to stop the bleeding with a hook shot, 7-2, Escobar responded with a solo 4-0 run after crossing up Phillips and draining two bonus shots, 11-2.
Off a DLSU timeout, the Blue and White failed to contain the Green Archers, permitting a 4-0 run, forcing Ateneo to call a timeout, 11-6. Despite allowing La Salle to force a deadlock at 11-all, Escobar nailed a deep three right before the first quarter buzzer, 14-11.
Picking up where they left off, the Katipunan-based squad orchestrated a 6-0 run fueled by back-to-back Escobar buckets and a strong finish by Tuano, 20-11. Unable to disrupt DLSU’s relentless drives to the paint, Ateneo allowed five bonus shots that narrowed the gap to seven, 24-17.
Pressing his foot on the gas, the hot-handed Escobar put former Blue Eagle Mason Amos on an island, hitting back-to-back isolation shots, 28-17.
This electric exchange was followed up by a Josh Lazaro and-one conversion, causing mayhem in the stands, 32-17. Before heading into halftime, the Blue and White’s lead ballooned to 17, 36-19, after a contested Lazaro three and Lars Fjellvang’s bonus shot.
Continuing to attack the driving lanes, Espina opened the second half with a layup, 38-21. This in-system play created additional spacing for their shooters, enabling the Blue Eagles to surge to a 10-0 run behind triples from Jared Bahay and Ladi, 48-21.
Although Phillips ended DLSU’s cold spell with a three-point play, 48-24, Ateneo’s pesky defense prevented any other Green Archer from scoring until the 5:15 mark. A three-pointer from Kean Baclaan, followed by free throws from Gian Gomez momentarily halted this defensive masterclass, but Espina quickly countered with a jumper, 51-29.
The Tab Baldwin-coached unit showcased excellent ball movement as they distributed a balanced attack—generating baskets for Espinosa, Tuano, and Andrew Bongo, 58-31. Producing a response to every Green and White run, Ateneo managed to enter the final period with a comfortable 30-point advantage, 68-38.
Despite being in the driver seat, Ateneo faced an early scare giving up a domineering 19-0 run to their archrivals to commence the fourth quarter, 68-57. Bothered by the Green and White’s full-court pressure, Ateneo’s turnovers enabled several fastbreak layups. Adili then fouled out of the game midway through the quarter—leaving the Loyola Heights-based squad to struggle in containing the Phillips-led frontcourt.
Sensing the pressure, Tuano provided the Blue Eagles’s first field-goal in over six minutes with a three-point play, 71-57. Baclaan then responded with a three-pointer, but Tuano immediately retaliated with a jumper to stabilize the Blue and White, 73-59.
Capitalizing on Ateneo’s weakened rim protection, layups from Jacob Cortez, Baclaan, and Phillips kept the door open for a DLSU comeback, 72-77. However, time proved to be on the Blue Eagles’ side, as free throws from Bongo and Tuano sealed the 81-74 victory—surviving a 13-34 scoring outburst from the Green Archers.
In another rivalry contest, Ateneo will put their spotless record on the line against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Wednesday, October 8 at 4:30 PM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (81): Ladi – 15, Escobar – 15, Tuano – 15, Lazaro – 9, Espinosa – 8, Espina – 7, Bongo – 4, Bahay – 3, Adili – 2, Lazo – 2, Fjellvang – 1
DLSU (74): Phillips – 17, Baclaan – 13, Cortez – 10, Gollena – 7, Amos – 6, Dungo – 5, Pablo – 5, Daep 4, Abadam – 3, Marasigan – 2, Gomez – 2
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-DLSU: 14-11, 36-19, 68-38, 81-74
Current Standings (W-L):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-0)
- NU Bulldogs (3-1)
- UST Growling Tigers (3-1)
- DLSU Green Archers (2-2)
- UP Fighting Maroons (2-2)
- FEU Tamaraws (1-3)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (1-3)
- UE Red Warriors (0-4)
