AIMING TO make a statement, the Ateneo Blue Eagles kickstarted their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 Men’s 3×3 Basketball campaign on a flyer, notching a clean 2-0 record. The festivities were held earlier today, April 27, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in the City of Parañaque.
With wins over the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, and a nail-biting overtime victory over National University (NU) Bulldogs, the new-look Blue Eagle roster, composed of Shawn Tuano, Kyle Gamber, Thirdy Ebdane, and Andrew Bongo, sits atop the tournament ladder after the opening day.
Gamber spearheaded the Blue and White’s offense with six two-pointers, including five against NU, tallying 15 total points in Ateneo’s opening day. Tuano also chipped in 13 points over the stretch, with eight of them coming in the win against the Tamaraws.
Ateneo vs FEU
To open their Season 88 account, Ateneo first faced the Morayta-based squad composed of Kirby Mongcopa, Rojan Montemayor, Adam Nakai, and John Taboctaboc.
The Blue Eagles wasted no time on the offensive end as they opened the match with a quick 3-0 lead behind Bongo and Gamber. While their opponents responded through Montemayor’s jumpers and Mongcopa’s putbacks to briefly tie the contest at 3-all, the Blue Eagles quickly regained control behind timely baskets from Bongo and Ebdane.
Tuano then sparked Ateneo’s offensive surge, knocking down a two-pointer before answering another opposition basket with consecutive drives to the basket to push the Blue Eagles ahead, 10-7. Gamber added to the momentum with a free throw and a two-pointer of his own as Ateneo built a comfortable 13-7 advantage.
The Loyola Heights-based cagers continued to dominate the interior in the latter stretch, with Tuano, Bongo, and Gamber repeatedly attacking the paint to keep their opponents at bay. Despite a brief response from Montemayor and Mongcopa, Ateneo maintained full control of the contest with a 19-13 cushion courtesy of a Gamber drive-in layup.
Holding a six-point lead and within striking distance of victory, Ebdane put the game away by draining the game-winning two-pointer to complete the Blue Eagles’ commanding 21-13 win.
Ateneo vs NU
Eager to build on the momentum from earlier’s win, the Blue Eagles went head-to-head against NU.
Facing an early 2-5 deficit, Ateneo leaned on Tuano, whose back-to-back baskets kept them within striking distance before Bongo handed Ateneo its first advantage, 6-5. Both squads continued to trade baskets in a tightly contested middle stretch, with Gamber providing crucial scoring with back-to-back two-pointers to keep his team ahead, 10-8.
Ebdane also delivered at a key moment in the game with an outside connection to break the deadlock, 13-11. Gamber then extended Ateneo’s advantage to 15-12 with another two-pointer. A late surge from Gamber, Bongo, and Tuano appeared to put Ateneo in full control as the Blue Eagles built a 19-13 lead, moving just two points away from victory. NU, however, responded with six unanswered points behind Reyes and Garcia to tie the match at 19-all.
After both teams failed to convert chances to end the contest, Gamber stepped up in the biggest moment and drained his fifth two-pointer of the match to seal Ateneo’s thrilling 21-19 victory.
Seeking to maintain their position in the standings, the Blue Eagles will face the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors tomorrow at 4:00 PM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo vs UST
Ateneo (21): Tuano- 8, Gamber- 5, Bongo- 5, Ebdane- 3
FEU (13): Montemayor- 7, Mongcopa- 5, Taboctaboc- 1, Nakai- 0
Ateneo vs NU
Ateneo (21): Gamber- 10, Tuano- 5, Bongo- 4, Ebdane- 2
NU (14): Garcia- 7, Reyes- 6, Fransisco- 3, Navarro- 3
Current Standings (W-L):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (2-0)
- DLSU Green Archers (2-0)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (1-1)
- NU Bulldogs (1-1)
- FEU Tamaraws (1-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-1)
- UST Growling Tigers (0-2)
- UE Red Warriors (0-2)
