With Season 88 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Basketball Tournament in full swing, this weekly series will track the flight path of the Blue Eagles as they seek to claim their long-awaited championship.
WITH THE Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) securing their fourth consecutive Final Four berth, the battle-tested squad looks to finish the elimination round on their highest note yet. The Blue Eagles have etched their way into the league’s elite in the past weeks through tough and ragged play.
Aiming to deny the chance for a stepladder, the Blue and White looked to hand the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigresses their first loss. Despite elite play from Kacey Dela Rosa and Camille Malagar, the Blue Eagles lost steam in the second half, which capped off a 79-92 defeat.
Pushing past their tough loss, the Blue Eagles booked their Final Four ticket in a bounce-back victory against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons. Erica De Luna led the way in a third quarter explosion, giving Ateneo their highest scoring game of the season in a 94-68 rout.
With their Final Four seat secured, the Katipunan-based squadron will have the chance to build upon winning habits and reinforce their strongest points in their last matches of the elimination round.
Building the next big thing
Carmela: I have been assigned to write for the AWBT for two consecutive years. Given this, I have grown familiar with their names and games, as well as recognized their persevering willpower from the sidelines. While lineups bolster and seasons change, this group remains constant in their pursuit of improvement. Among the many growths I have witnessed, one particular athlete I would like to credit is Kate Cancio.
Last year, my first impression of her was a quiet force emerging on the floor. From a few minutes of playing time, I have seen how Cancio diligently proved her capabilities as a tenacious guard. Now that the Blue Eagle is a certified veteran, Cancio is undeniably turning out to be a role model for the younger flock.
As mentioned in the previous Midseason Takeaways, the Blue Eagle is a key proponent of the AWBT’s second unit. Cancio is among the athletes who showcase their reliability, especially in the crucial minutes. One of her strengths is her charity stripe conversions, which were evidenced in their game against the Fighting Maroons where Cancio recorded a 75.0% efficiency on free throw attempts.
Mirroring the production of Co-Captain Gracie Batongbakal, the seasoned offensive conductor makes the most out of her time on the court, ensuring that her play is instrumental for her teammates. Whether or not the goal is to sink a basket, Cancio demonstrates her playmaking proficiency to keep the squad afloat. In the Blue and White’s matches against UST and UP, the Atenean guard registered two and three assists for the team, respectively.
This steady progress only shows the effectiveness of Coach LA Mumar’s player rotation. The team’s lineups have given the girls in blue openings to play and maintain their chemistry, a strategy that certainly bore fruit given the Blue Eagles’ standing. Field time then proves to be a significant factor in creating a well-oiled unit. By allowing opportunities for every single player to find and master their footing, the AWBT is en route to building their own walk of fame in collegiate basketball.
I trust that these women have only more to offer in the coming games. Now that they have successfully secured a Final Four spot, their evident growth may be the gateway to a possible championship return.
On the rise
AJ: Entering Season 88, the Blue Eagles introduced a handful of highly-touted rookies that were expected to provide meaningful minutes for a championship contender. Through 12 games, Ateneo’s trio of rookies, Malagar, De Luna, and Hannah Lopez, has bolstered the squad to an 8-4 record with aspirations of winning it all.
During our second edition of our weekly takeaways, we mentioned how vital Ateneo’s new recruits were, as they provided production on all facets on the court. Fortunately for the Blue Eagles, the return has been nothing short of impressive. Not only have they shown elite talent, but they have been improving before our eyes as the Blue Eagles head towards their best record since Season 70.
In these past few weeks, an emerging threat from the perimeter has been Lopez, who has seen an uptick in minutes since her 18-point eruption against the University of the East Lady Warriors. Through the second half of the elimination round, the Gilas Youth member has settled nicely into the UAAP pace, providing Ateneo with a long-range threat that has opened the court for other shooters to thrive in.
Along with sharpshooter Lopez, Coach LA Mumar has repeatedly gone back to the services of De Luna during crucial stretches of the game. Throughout the entire season, the shifty guard became a late-game punisher, breaking down defenses in pivotal possessions by either making the right play or finishing the basket herself. As the season winds down, De Luna’s defensive presence and quick playmaking will surely become an area of significance come playoff time.
Speaking of playoff time, no one has been more eager to see Final Four basketball than Ateneo’s rising superstar Malagar. The 5-foot-6 guard has provided a scoring punch that has kept Ateneo afloat even through their toughest droughts. Her best game so far with the Blue and White was their matchup against UST in the second round, where the Atenean notched 18 points and three assists. As the season has progressed, the star veteran has shown her clutch gene to bank timely shots and has notably become a key ball handler alongside the likes of Kai Oani, De Luna, and Batongbakal.
Moving forward, Ateneo has the luxury of having the services of their three emerging rookies at the helm as they face the giants of season’s past. As defenses get tighter towards the end of the season, the Blue and White will be relying on Lopez, De Luna, and Malagar who have been at the forefront of one of the best AWBT’s seasons in history.
Stepping into greatness
Ani: After the Blue Eagles’ two outings this week, it is evident that the team has yet to reach their full potential. While both games highlighted moments of strong performances, they also displayed areas of improvement that may strengthen the team’s chances of winning it all.
In their first test this week against the undefeated UST, the Blue Eagles put up a valiant effort, maintaining a tight scoreline down three at the halfway mark, 39-42. However, Ateneo struggled in the second half to convert chances, allowing UST to pull away by 10 points, resulting in a 79-92 defeat.
Throughout the game, Ateneo struggled to contain UST’s bigs, resulting in 21 offensive rebounds for the España-based squad and 17 points off of these second chances.
In addition to challenges on the glass, the Blue and White also had some difficulty with turnovers—an area that the team has been working to improve throughout the season. Conceding a total of 22 turnovers, the Blue Eagles also allowed 30 points off these turnovers, leading to easy opportunities that UST rarely fails to capitalize on.
Against UP, however, the team bounced back with an impressive win over their Katipunan rivals. Despite only holding onto a narrow two-point lead at halftime, the Blue Eagles blew out the game in the second half with a barrage of points, outsourcing UP, 56-32, ultimately securing the game, 94-68.
In a dominant showing overall, the Blue Eagles led the game in almost every statistical category, showing their abilities on both offense and defense. Controlling the boards, Ateneo outrebounded UP, 62-43, 20 of which were offensive rebounds, leading to 14 second-chance points.
Building on this dominance on the glass, the team also capitalized on both the paint and the perimeter, generating points from the starters and the bench. In total, 58 points came from the starters, 36 points from the bench, and 36 points coming off perimeter shots, showing Ateneo’s flexibility and diversified attack.
With a dominant performance against UP and a tough loss to UST, the Blue and White has shown that they are capable of both resiliency and excellence, signs that the team is already knocking on the doorstep of greatness. The challenge, however, now lies in unlocking the team’s full potential, a key step towards contending for a title this season.
As they prepare to take flight against the league’s top contenders in their final push, Ateneo still has time to build upon their strengths and fine-tune their weaknesses. Yet, with the stakes mounting in the coming weeks, the Blue Eagles must elevate their game quickly to soar at their highest and make a deep run this year.
Remaining elimination games
Sunday, November 23, at 11:30 AM, vs. AdU Lady Falcons at the SM Mall of Asia Arena
Wednesday, November 26, at 7:00 PM, vs. DLSU Lady Archers at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
