The Ateneo Lady Eagles prevailed, 78-55, against their Katipunan rival the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons, taking home their first victory in the 2019 Women’s Basketball Invitational on Thursday, July 11, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Katipunan, Quezon City.
Ateneo used a relentless trap defense to overwhelm their opponents and force 32 turnovers, while their hot shooting on the other end powered an offensive onslaught to secure the win.
Alyssa Villamor’s marksmanship from beyond the arc headlined the Lady Eagles’ attack as she made six of her nine three-point attempts to finish the match with a game-high 20 points and three assists. Her backcourt partner, Hazelle Yam, added 12 more markers to the team’s total, including four boards, three assists, and two steals. Jhazmin Joson chipped in nine points, five rebounds, and five dimes in the victory.
Stiffany Larrosa paced the Lady Maroons with 12 points, while also pulling down four rebounds. Cindi Gonzales’ impact also helped carry UP, scoring 11 markers on a perfect four out of four from the field and hauling in six rebounds.
The Battle of Katipunan began on a cagey affair as both squads played stingy half-court defense, but Ateneo managed to pull away towards the end on a 7-0 blitz. Villamor’s pull-up three followed by back-to-back inside baskets from Zoe Chu and Boom Moslares ended the opening period at 17-8.
Momentum carried onto the next frame saw the Lady Eagles take hold of a double-digit lead, 24-9. Joson was the main catalyst for the team in that burst, having a hand in all of the Blue and White’s first seven points in the period. The advantage ballooned to 20 after Joanne Nimes drained a catch-and-shoot triple on a quick ball swing and split two shots at the foul line.
The first half came to a close with UP trimming the lead down to 14. Larossa hit a buzzer-beater from distance while a foul away from ball led to Gonzales sinking a free throw to close the second quarter.
Joson began the scoring for Ateneo in the second half as she drove through the middle before pulling up for a mid-range jump shot. The Lady Eagles put an emphasis on pushing the pace off of UP’s missed shots and turnovers. This proved to be a gem for them as Yam’s excellent finishing on the break stretched their lead to 25. UP managed to claw back the deficit with a late push, cutting Ateneo’s lead to 16, 53-37.
Despite UP sustaining their aggressiveness in attacking the basket, the Lady Eagles responded with sharp play of their own to keep the Lady Maroons at bay. Selina De Dios broke loose for an open layup before she knocked down a corner three on the next possession to extend their advantage, 69-49. Moments later, Joie Aquisap nailed back-to-back triples with less than two minutes remaining in the contest to confirm the victory for the Blue and White.
The Ateneo Lady Eagles (1-2) will conclude their tournament with a chance to finish third in another matchup against the Lady Maroons (0-3) at 8:00 AM tomorrow, July 12, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Katipunan, Quezon City.
Quarter Scores
Ateneo-UP: 17-8, 37-23, 53-37, 78-55
Box Score
Ateneo (78): Villamor 20, Yam 12, Joson 9, De Dios 7, Nimes 7, Chu 6, Aquisap 6, Guytingco 5, Cancio 2, Moslares 2, Newsome 2, Miranda 0, Payac 0, Villacruz 0
UP (55): Larrosa 12, Gonzales 11, de Leon 6, Domingo 5, Ordoveza 5, Pesquera 5, Amar 3, Rivera 3, Lebico 2, Sanchez 2, Taulava 1, Hidalgo 0, Lucman 0, Vallejo 0
