THE ATENEO Blue Eagles were in top form as they cruised to a third consecutive victory and a 3-1 win-loss standing after their 89-62 win against the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, in Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball Tournament.

The Blue and White’s impressive ball movement was put on display in today’s match, as the team put up a tournament-high 24 assists to help the team reach its season-high of 89 points in scoring output. The Katipunan-based squad once again scored efficiently from all areas of the court, as the team finished with a season-high effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 56.34%.

Ateneo was also unmatched from beyond the free-throw line, lighting up the Red Warriors with 52 perimeter points both from mid-range and from deep. The Blue Eagles also defended the three-ball well, holding UE to just 1/16 shooting from downtown.

Raffy Verano put up a mid-range shooting clinic in his thirteen and a half minutes of action in today’s match, as he led the team in scoring with 12 points on 6/8 shooting from the field. William Navarro, meanwhile, finished as the team’s second leading scorer with 11 points on 57% shooting from the field, including his first triple of the season. Angelo Kouame also put up an impressive performance with a contribution of eight points and 15 rebounds to go with a game high plus-minus of 29.

In the early stages of the first quarter, the Blue Eagles’ offense had trouble finding its groove, as the team turned the ball over twice in their first three offensive possessions. Two minutes into the game, an Anton Asistio triple marked the Blue Eagles’ first points, with the team trailing UE by a point, 3-4.

As the quarter progressed, however, the Blue and White’s offense began to gain steam, as numerous entry passes to the high post opened up tons of scoring opportunities both in the slot and the perimeter. In several sequences, UE’s 2-3 zone defense was caught overhelping in the post, leaving Tyler Tio, Isaac Go, Adrian Wong, and Matt Nieto to benefit from kick-outs and the team’s good ball movement along the perimeter.

Leading UE, 24-10, the Blue Eagles then began the second quarter with five straight points from Go’s lay-up and a Jolo Mendoza triple. Alvin Pasaol however, would answer back by going on to score six of his 10 first-half points within the first three minutes of the quarter, forcing Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin to call a timeout.

When play resumed, Verano then began his clinic from the mid-range as he put up eight of his 12 points in the game in the second quarter alone. Eventually, the Blue and White would find themselves entering halftime with a 12-point advantage over the Red Warriors, 43-31.

The Blue and White then began the second half with a free-throw from Kouame and a triple from Nieto within the first 40 seconds of action. Thirdy Ravena meanwhile, led the Blue and White in scoring for this quarter by putting up all six of his second half points in the third period, courtesy of a step-back triple and three points at the charity stripe. By the quarter’s end, the Blue Eagles had found themselves extending their lead to twenty-two, 68-46.

About one minute into the final quarter, the Blue Eagles’ found themselves troubled as Verano went down clutching his ankle to force a substitution for Navarro in his place. However, things eventually went well as Mendoza, Mike Nieto, and Navarro’s combined output of sixteen of the team’s twenty points that quarter eventually helped see the Blue and White through the match’s proceedings with a 27-point victor, 89-62.

After the game, Ateneo Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga shared some of the team’s keys to victory against the Red Warriors. “First, we wanted to win the battle of the boards because UE is number one in offensive rebounding,” he said. “Second, we wanted to match their intensity from start to end.”

Arespacochaga also added later on that the medical staff will be looking into Verano’s sprained ankle to see if he will be deemed fit to play in the Blue Eagles’ next match.

After two consecutive blowout victories, the Blue Eagles will be looking to add to their win tally by garnering their fourth consecutive win of the season against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers on Saturday, September 29, 4:00PM, at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

QUARTER SCORES:

Ateneo-UE: 24-10, 43-31, 68-44, 89-62

BOX SCORE:

Ateneo (89): Verano – 12, Navarro – 11, Asistio – 9, Mendoza – 9, Kouame – 8, Ravena – 8, Go – 7, Ma. Nieto – 6, Mi. Nieto – 6, Mamuyac – 5, Tio – 4, Wong – 2, Daves – 2

UE (62): Pasaol – 17, Bartolome – 12, Conner – 8, Manalang – 7, Cullar – 6, Maloles – 6, Varilla – 4, Gagate – 2