AFTER A seven-season absence, the Ateneo Men’s 3×3 Basketball Team officially punched their ticket back to the Final Four of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 Men’s 3×3 Basketball Tournament following a sweep of their Day three assignments. The matches were held on April 30, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in the City of Parañaque.
With a 22-6 drubbing of the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, and a 21-17 come-from-behind victory over the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, the Blue Eagles still sit atop the tournament standings, holding a clean 5-0 record, whilst securing their postseason berth since Season 81.
Kyle Gamber led a balanced Ateneo scoring attack, tallying 12 points in the two-game stretch, including three two-point connections in the game against UST. Drew Bongo also tallied a combined 12 points, while Thirdy Ebdane and Shawn Tuano chipped in 10 and nine points, respectively.
Ateneo vs Adamson
Eager to maintain their spotless records, the Blue Eagles started their day as they went head-to-head with Adamson University
Ateneo wasted no time taking control, opening with a quick 3-0 burst behind Tuano and Bongo’s quick drives to the hoop. Despite Soaring Falcon Noah Pacquiao’s putback, the Blue Eagles stayed in rhythm, stretching the lead to 6-1 following Tuano layup off a well-placed pass from Gamber.
Anchored by Gamber’s playmaking prowess and timely two-point baskets, the Blue Eagles strung together a series of well-orchestrated possessions to begin to pull away. As Ebdane and Tuano converted off crisp feeds from Gamber, the Blue Eagles found themselves comfortably ahead, 13-3.
The Blue and White never let up, continuing to impose their will in the paint while maintaining their defensive intensity. Tuano’s strong finishes powered Ateneo further ahead, extending the cushion to 18-6. With the outcome all but decided, Ateneo finally claimed the win after Ebdane’s outside hit, 22-6.
Ateneo vs UST
Looking to build momentum from their earlier match, the Blue Eagles locked horns in a premiere matchup against the Growling Tigers.
However, the Loyola Heights-based squad started the match off slowly, as they fell into an early 1-8 hole. Despite brief answers from Ebdane and Bongo, the Blue Eagles struggled to find their rhythm as UST dictated the early pace and built a commanding 3-11 lead, forcing the Blue Eagles to call for time at the 7:27 mark.
Following the much-needed timeout, Ateneo settled themselves with Gamber and Ebdane starting to chip away at the deficit through steady interior scoring, 6-11. As their momentum continued to build, Gamber drained back-to-back two-pointers to make it a one-possession game, 10-11. After Bongo tied the game at 11-all, Ebdane put the Blue Eagles in front with a layup to give Ateneo its first lead at 12-11.
From there, the Blue Eagles seized control of the match as Bongo kept the fightback going with consecutive baskets, including a fadeaway jumper to increase their lead, 14-12. Gamber and Ebdane followed with timely conversions as Ateneo built separation, extending the advantage to 17-13 despite UST attempting to regain composure.
UST made one final push behind Amiel Acido to cut it to 19-17, but Gamber delivered the decisive blow with a clutch two-pointer to seal the Ateneo victory, 21-17.
Seeking to hold sole possession on the top of the tournament ladder, Ateneo will face arch-rivals De La Salle University later today at 5:20 PM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo vs Adamson
Ateneo (22): Tuano- 8, Bongo- 6, Ebdane- 5, Gamber- 3
AdU (6): Pacquiao- 3, Fransman, 2, Barcelona- 1, Edding- 0
Ateneo vs UST
Ateneo (21): Gamber- 9, Bongo- 6, Ebdane- 5, Tuano- 1
UST (17): Danting- 7, Acido- 5, Buenaflor- 4, Manding- 1
Current Standings (W-L):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (5-0)*
- DLSU Green Archers (5-0)*
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-2)
- NU Bulldogs (2-3)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (2-3)
- FEU Tamaraws (2-3)
- UE Red Warriors (1-4)
- UST Growling Tigers (0-5)
* – clinched Final Four
