THE DEFENDING Men’s 3×3 Basketball champions Ateneo Blue Eagles finished a hotly contested first day of pool play in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 tournament with a record of 2-2. This saw the Blue and White tied for third place with three other teams. The games were held at Millennial resorts in Calatagan, Batangas on June 2.
Leading the Blue Eagles in scoring were Chris Koon with 25 points throughout the four games and JC Fetalvero who contributed 16 points of his own.
During the first game of the day, the Blue and White failed to find their rhythm, losing to the De La Salle Green Archers (DLSU), 10-15. Shooting only 20 percent in both the paint and perimeter, the Katipunan-based squad struggled to find points. All of Ateneo’s 10 points in this game were scored by Chris Koon. Meanwhile, DLSU saw balanced production from their starters Spencer Lim, Ben Phillips and Ralph Cu–who contributed six, five and four points, respectively.
Despite the opening game loss, the Blue Eagles were quick to bounce back–claiming a 17-13 victory over the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws. Leading by as much as five points, the Blue and White dominated the perimeter–scoring 14 points on 41.2 percent (7/17 FGM/A) shooting. Fetalvero and FEU’s Patrick Sleat led all scorers in this game with seven points each. Chris Koon had another solid performance finishing with six points, six rebounds and two assists.
Ateneo then began the afternoon with a close 8-9 loss versus the National University (NU) Bulldogs. Both teams struggled from the field as highlighted by Ateneo’s 16.7 percent (1/6 FGM/A) from inside the paint and NU’s 14.3 percent (2/14 FGM/A) from the perimeter. The difference, however, was Ateneo’s starters, as they were outscored by the Bulldogs’ own starting lineup, 5-9. Fetalvero was the only starter to score for ADMU during this game with five points while all nine of the Bulldogs’ points were from their starter–Patrick Ramos, JM Crisostomo and Germy Mahinay.
To end the day, the boys from Katipunan finished strong with an 18-11 victory over the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers. Ateneo ruled the paint as they out-rebounded UST, 24-13. To add to that, the Blue Eagles scored seven points in the interior on 53.8 percent (7/13 FGM/A) shooting. Moreover, the Blue and White also got help from the bench. Coming off the bench after starting the first three games, Fetalvero chipped in six points in just four minutes and 45 seconds of playing time. Meanwhile, Sherwin Concepcion carried the offensive load for the Growling Tigers as he finished the game with eight points and five rebounds.
When asked about how the team performed on day one, Blue Eagle Chris Koon said that the boys played well overall. “I think our team did well in finding each other for open shots and open looks on offense. We just weren’t converting some of them. Our ball screen defense could also use some improvement, since it’s pretty crucial in a 3×3 format. The goal tomorrow is to just stick to our game plan and work hard and smart,” said Koon.
The reigning champions will seek to secure a play-off round spot in attempts to reclaim the crown as they go up against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons (3-1) at 11:30 AM followed by the Adamson Soaring Falcons (2-2) at 1:15 PM on June 3. The semi-finals and finals of the event will also be played on June 3, at 2:30 PM and 4:45 PM, respectively. Fans can watch the games live on One Sports, the UAAP Varsity channel, Cignal Play and Smart Giga Play.
