THE ATENEO Blue Eagles chalked up their fifth win of Season 77 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines at the expense of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers on August 6 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum , with a nail-biter victory of 63-61.
Starting guard Kiefer Ravena delivered the knockout blow to the opposition, draining a highly contested floater, leaving less than three seconds on the game clock for the Tigers.
“Knowing Kiefer, he found a way again to make the shots when it really matters,” Head Coach Bo Perasol said of his star player. Perasol also shared that Assistant Coach Ronnie Magsanoc designed the final play.
Ravena, who has been averaging Most Valuable Player-like numbers early in the season, played a complete game for the Blue and White. He tallied 17 markers, eight rebounds and four assists.
Early in the first half of action, Ateneo and UST were in a seesaw battle, exchanging baskets. Both squads, who take pride in their defenses, locked each other up, resulting in low field goal percentages but countless trips to the charity stripe.
Rookie sensation Arvin Tolentino rifled in eight of his 14 points in the first 20 minutes of action, keeping the Tigers at bay by the end of the half, 28-25. He also crashed the boards the entire game with another double-double performance as he notched 12 rebounds.
Forward Chris Newsome, who led his team in scoring with 18 markers and five boards, provided the offensive boost in the pivotal third quarter, when Ravena and Tolentino struggled to find the bottom of the net. Floor general Nico Elorde further gave Ateneo the momentum after draining a triple and three free throws to give the Eagles some breathing room, 49-45.
However, UST swingman Aljon Mariano did not give up without a fight as he unleashed a flurry of triples and drives to the basket, keeping the Tigers within striking distance. Big man Karim Abdul also caused trouble down low as he chipped in with a game-high 19 points and trimmed Ateneo’s lead to just five, 55-50.
By the payoff period, Ateneo and UST were struggling for their points. Newsome, however, stepped up for the Blue Eagles with a crucial play down the stretch. Newsome spun to the basket, absorbed the contact from UST’s frontline and gently dropped the shot plus the foul in the last minute of play. Newsome’s three-point play placed both squads in a dead lock, 60-all.
UST was primed to take the lead when Kevin Ferrer drove hard to the basket and was fouled by the Ateneo defense, earning himself the chance to seal the game for the España-based squad with two crucial free throws. Ferrer, who knocked down a momentum-shifting three earlier in the game, split his charities, thus opening the door for Ateneo to snatch the win on Ravena’s floater.
With the victory, Ateneo leads the league together with the National University (NU) Bulldogs at 5-1, while UST, on the other hand, drops to 3-2.
The Blue Eagles look to wrap up their first round campaign against the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors on August 10, Sunday, 2:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.
