THE ATENEO Men’s 3×3 Basketball Team wrapped up their elimination round campaign on a winning note after eking out a 15-12 win over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons. The game was held earlier today, May 2, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in the City of Parañaque.
With the win, Ateneo will head into the Final Four as the second seed with a 6-1 record at hand. Shawn Tuano was the focal point of the scoring department today for the Blue Eagles, tallying seven points to go with eight rebounds.
Alden Cainglet also chipped in four points, with Thirdy Ebdane and Kyle Gamber rounding up the scoresheet for Ateneo with two points each in the low-scoring affair.
Ateneo took control right from the opening possession, as Ebdane and Tuano feasted on the interior to give the Blue Eagles an early 3-0 start. Despite Miguel Yniguez putting UP on the board with a layup through contact, Tuano kept his team at bay with a two-point conversion to extend the lead to 5–1.
The Blue Eagles continued to dictate the pace as the game progressed, with Gamber knocking down an outside connection, 7–2. Fighting Maroons’ Yniguez and LA Andres tried to keep their squad within reach through quick transition buckets, but Cainglet and Ebdane helped Ateneo build a comfortable 11–4 advantage with their efficient off-ball movement leading to quick baskets inside the arc.
However, UP rallied behind Andres, who struck consecutive inside incursions to close the gap at 11–6. Yniguez then took matters aggressively inside, trimming the Ateneo cushion to 11–9 after scoring the last three points.
Despite the game turning to the Fighting Maroons’ favor, momentum suddenly swung back to the Blue Eagles’ side after Andres was assessed a disqualifying foul for a hit to Tuano’s stomach at the 1:16 mark. Tuano then converted both free throws and added a mid-range jumper on the subsequent possession to push the lead to 14–9. UP made a final push through Yniguez’s two-point connection, but Cainglet’s late basket sealed the win for Ateneo with a late basket inside, 15-12.
With a title at stake, the Blue Eagles will take on the third-seeded Adamson Soaring Falcons in their Final Four semifinal clash tomorrow at 1:20 PM in the same venue. A win sends Ateneo to the championship game at 4:40 PM against the winner of the first semifinal, while a loss relegates them to the third-place match scheduled at 3:00 PM.
Box Scores:
Ateneo (15): Tuano – 7, Cainglet – 4, Ebdane – 2, Gamber – 2
UP (12): Yniguez – 8, Andres – 2, Galotera – 2, Shah- 0
Final Standings (W-L):
- DLSU Green Archers (7-0)*
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (6-1)*
- AdU Soaring Falcons (4-3)*
- NU Bulldogs (3-4, 120 – 4th last year)*
- FEU Tamaraws (3-4, 120 – 6th last year)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-4, 120 – 7th last year)
- UE Red Warriors (1-6)
- UST Growling Tigers (1-6)
*- Clinched Final Four
