THE ATENEO Blue Eagles recorded their eighth straight victory in a 44-point drubbing of the Mapua Cardinals, 99-55, staying undefeated in the FilOil Flying V Preseason Cup on Friday, June 8, at the FilOil Flying V Arena.

A 27-10 advantage on the offensive boards gifted the Blue Eagles 28 more shot attempts, helping them to another blowout victory. Angelo Kouame showed up on both ends of the floor with a double-double to lead Ateneo with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, and one block in 16 minutes of play. Raffy Verano chipped in 12 markers and seven boards while Thirdy Ravena, Adrian Wong, and Patrick Maagdenberg rounded up the double digit scorers with 11, 11, and 10 points respectively.

Meanwhile, Eric Jabel and Lawrence Victoria led the way for Mapua with 12 points apiece but lacked support from the other guys as Christian Dunag was the only other player in double digits with 10 markers and five boards.

It was a quick start for Ateneo as they started the game on a 15-4 run behind their dominant paint presence. But after some adjustment by Mapua, the Cardinals trimmed the deficit to just nine after the opening period, 17-8.

After trading a couple of baskets at the start of the second quarter, Wong unleashed a barrage of triples to kickstart a 14-4 run that put the Blue Eagles up, 38-20. A Kouame layup ended the half with Ateneo up big, 44-26.

A triple by Anton Asistio after multiple offensive rebounds energized the Blue Eagles to start the third quarter as they went on a 15-2 run highlighted by two Kouame slam dunks to erect a huge 31-point lead. A couple of defensive stops by Gian Mamuyac after the halfway mark of the third gave Ateneo another boost, doubling the opponent’s score, 73-36. Isaac Go’s buzzer beating putback ended the period with Ateneo on top, 78-41.

Mapua finally found their rhythm at the start of the payoff period as they pulled off an 8-2 run. Despite another Mapua resurgence, the Blue Eagles managed to hold the Cardinals to six points the rest of the way as a Jawuan White triple sparked another 17-6 run for Ateneo. A free throw by Kouame sealed the final score, 99-55.

After the game, Kouame bared the team’s winning formula that has left the Blue and White atop the standings with an 8-0 record, saying, “We just stick to the plan. Whether [on] offense or defense, just follow [what] coach [says].”

The Blue and White are set to face archrivals the De La Salle University Green Archers in a much-anticipated matchup of top seeds on Tuesday, June 12, 4:00 pm, at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Quarter Scores:

Ateneo-Mapua: 17-8, 44-26, 78-41, 99-55

Box Score:

Ateneo (99): Kouame – 19, Verano – 12, Ravena – 11, Wong – 11, Maagdenberg – 10, White – 9, Go – 6, Asistio – 5, Navarro – 5, Mamuyac – 5, Black – 2, Tio – 2, Nieto, Ma. – 2, Nieto, Mi. – 0, Belangel – 0

Mapua (55): Jabel – 12, Victoria – 12, Dunag – 10, Serrano – 6, Lugo – 4, Biteng – 3, Bautista – 3, Bonifacio – 2, Pelayo – 2, Gamboa – 1, Salenga – 0, Garcia – 0, Nocum – 0, Pajarillo – 0