THE ATENEO Blue Eagles annihilated the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 84-50, in their 12th contest in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 82 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, October 20, at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City. The Blue Eagles’ win gifts them a 12-0 record, while UE, who were eliminated from Final Four contention, stumbles to 3-9 on the season.
Isaac Go led the Ateneo’s masterful effort with 13 points on three three-pointers, while Ange Kouame and Thirdy Ravena combined for 22 points and 15 rebounds. SJ Belangel and Adrian Wong also chipped in nine markers apiece.
The Red Warriors were bannered by Alex Diakhite’s 15 points and 15 boards, but he did not get much help outside of Rey Suerte’s 10 points, as the rest of the team shot poorly.
Ateneo put the clamps on the Red Warriors’ offense to start the game, limiting them to a meager eight points in the opening salvo. The Blue Eagles pushed the lead further as the second quarter progressed, taking the 40-25 advantage into halftime. Ateneo rushed out the gates in the second half, mounting a blistering 13-0 run to push the lead to 28 with five minutes left in the third. The Blue Eagles never looked back, topping the Red Warriors by as much as 35 points.
After his best performance this season, Team Captain Go emphasized the importance of staying ready. “It’s just the embodiment of ‘next man up.’ Everybody is ready to perform when called upon, and it happened to be me today. But as you’ve seen through the course of the season, it’s been Chew [Daves], Pat [Maagdenberg], Ange [Kouame],” Go explained. “Everybody has stepped [up], everyone’s had good games, and that’s a sign of a good team.”
The Blue Eagles aim to take another step towards an elimination sweep as they challenge the National University Bulldogs on Saturday, October 26, 2:00PM, at the Ynares Sports Center, Antipolo City.
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-UE: 17-8, 40-25, 65-35, 84-50
Box Scores:
Ateneo (84): Go – 13, Ravena – 11, Kouame – 11, Wong – 9, Belangel – 9, J. Nieto – 6, Tio – 6, Chiu – 4, Credo – 4, M. Nieto – 3, Maagdenberg – 2, Mallillin – 2, Andrade – 1, Daves – 0, Navarro – 0
UE (50): Diakhite – 15, Suerte – 10, Abanto – 6, Apacible – 6, Camacho – 3, Cruz – 3, Antiporda – 2, Pagsanjan – 2, Tolentino – 2, Manalang – 1, Conner – 0, Lorenzana – 0, Mendoza – 0, Natividad – 0
