UNABLE TO force a do-or-die stepladder for the final spot in the Final Four, the Ateneo Blue Eagles faltered against long-time rival De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, 72-78. The matchup took place earlier today, November 26, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
With this loss, the Blue Eagles end their University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88 campaign with a final record of 6-8.
In their final game for the Blue and White, the dynamic duo of one-and-done superstars Dominic Escobar and Kymani Ladi led the way as Escobar tallied 18 points and four rebounds while Ladi notched 13 points with seven boards. The team also benefited from double-digit performances from Divine Adili, Jared Bahay, and Waki Espina, tallying 11, 11, and 10 points, respectively.
Escobar and Espina got the ball rolling for the Blue Eagles, scoring with consecutive jumpers to surge Ateneo ahead, 5-4. With both teams struggling to convert their free throws, the Blue Eagles took advantage as Ladi nailed a shot from beyond the arc to take a 10-6 lead.
However, the Blue and White could not sustain their momentum, as DLSU’s Mike Phillips penetrated their porous paint defence to put Ateneo behind, 12-13. Despite Espina’s three tying the game, 15-all, the Blue Eagles failed to convert on their attempts from the charity stripe, ending the first quarter trailing, 18-20.
Entering the second frame in the nip-and-tuck affair, the Katipunan-based unit ramped up the defensive pressure, forcing a turnover and layup to knot the contest at 22. As both teams exchanged baskets in the paint, another basket from Ladi kept the game in a deadlock with four minutes remaining. 31-31.
Espina continued his impressive showing, netting his second three of the contest to give Ateneo back the lead, 34-33. After the teams went neck-and-neck for the entire first half, the Blue Eagles once again delivered a crucial three-pointer, this time by veteran Ian Espinosa, to take a 38-37 lead into the halftime break.
As the second half went underway, Adili served as the spark plug for the Blue Eagles following a quick putback shot to start the frame, 40-37. Despite a quick retort from JC Macalalag, 40-39, the Nigerian center proceeded to generate four more points, capped off with a shot inside after a cross-court pass from Bahay, 44-39. Coupled with a high-arching shot in the paint from Escobar, the Green Archers were forced to regroup, 46-39.
Exiting the huddle, momentum remained on the Blue Eagles’ side after the timeout, with Adili once again crashing the glass for a second-chance point, 48-39. Meanwhile, Cortez began chipping away at Ateneo’s deficit, 48-41. However, Team Captains Ladi and Bahay were ready to share the offensive load, contributing baskets of their own, exemplified by Bahay’s long-range bomb from the wing to extend the Katipunan-based squad’s advantage to double digits, 53-43.
However, a series of continuous errors plagued the Blue Eagles, allowing Green Archer Luis Pablo to pick up on the offensive end. Following a technical free throw, Pablo proceeded to contribute four more points, 55-47. Stopping the bleeding was Escobar, who shook off his defender from the right wing for a slick jumper, 57-47.
With two minutes left in the penultimate quarter, the Blue Eagles’ defensive struggles persisted, absorbing a 6-0 run after a Vhoris Marasigan stepback jumper, 58-54. Despite free throws from Bahay to create separation from the opposition, a drive from Marasigan to the cup concluded the third frame with Ateneo up by four, 60-56.
As the fourth quarter got underway, lapses in communication were evident with the Blue Eagles struggling on both ends of the floor, allowing the likes of Marasigan to score after a quick teardrop, 60-58. Stepping up, Bahay then launched from long distance to score Ateneo’s first points of the frame, 63-60. Then, Cortez went on a run as he calmly drained a wide-open three and a turnaround jumper to give DLSU the lead, 63-65.
Remaining unfazed, Ladi then took matters into his own hands, capitalizing on the mismatch to slash to the rim, 65-65. With time winding down, the Blue Eagles were unable to protect the basket, allowing DLSU to go on a brief 5-0 run that ended with Macalalag wide-open for a go-ahead three, 65-70.
As crunch time was in full force, a fadeaway from Escobar and a free throw from Adili managed to cut the deficit down to two, 68-70. Despite their best efforts, the Blue Eagles had no response when Green Archer Cortez sank a mid-range shot to extend their advantage, 72-76, with 12 seconds remaining. Along with free throws from Phillips, Ateneo ultimately conceded to DLSU to close out their season, 72-78.
Despite Ateneo coming up just short of a Final Four bid, the Blue and White’s campaign ends in a respectable sixth place, three places above their last-place finish from Season 87. As the season comes to a close, the Blue Eagles bid farewell to the team’s graduating seniors, Ladi, Escobar, Jaden Lazo, Lazaro, and Kyle Ong. Now, the Blue Eagles return to the nest, setting their sights on improving for Season 89 in 2026.
Box scores:
Ateneo (72): Escobar – 18, Ladi – 13, Adili – 11, Bahay – 11, Espina – 10, Espinosa – 4, Lazaro – 3, Tuano – 2
DLSU (78): Cortez – 20, Philips – 13, Marasigan – 12, Pablo – 9, Macalalag – 8, Abadam – 7, Melencio – 5, Dungo – 4
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-DLSU: 18-20, 38-37, 60-56, 72-78
Final Standings (W-L):
- NU Bulldogs (11-2)**
- UP Fighting Maroons (10-4)**
- UST Growling Tigers (7-5)*
- DLSU Green Archers (8-6)*
- FEU Tamaraws (7-7) – e
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (6-8) – e
- AdU Soaring Falcons (6-8) – e
- UE Red Warriors (0-14) – e
** – clinched Twice-to-beat advantage
* – clinched Final Four berth
e – eliminated from Final Four contention
