NEARLY SEVEN months after being dethroned as the kings of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Basketball, the Blue and White inches closer to redemption. The Ateneo Blue Eagles punch their ticket to the UAAP Season 85 Finals in an emphatic 81-60 win over the Adamson (AdU) Soaring Falcons, earlier tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. 

Tonight’s semifinal blowout booked Ateneo’s sixth-straight Finals appearance—a historic stretch dating back to the Blue Eagles’ runner-up finish in Season 79. The Blue Eagles advance to a three-game championship series with a chance to upend their Season 84 tormentor—the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons. 

Sharpshooter Chris Koon was red-hot in Ateneo’s dominant 21-point playoff win, dropping 15 points, five assists, and four triples on an efficient 71% shooting from the field. Superstar big man Ange Kouame poured in an all-around effort with a near-double-double of nine points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks. 

Ateneo kicked off the first quarter of their Final Four matchup with unyielding purpose. The Blue Eagles ran away with a swift 12-3 run on the back of their defensive intensity, forcing Adamson to take their first four shots from beyond the arc. Ateneo also put an emphasis on keeping the ball out of King Falcon Jerom Lastimosa’s hands, holding the star point guard to zero points in the quarter. The Ateneo bench also made an early appearance, headlined by Koon and his six points to end the quarter up 20-13.

To start the second quarter, Ateneo surprised the Adamson faithful with a lineup featuring a frontcourt of Kai Ballungay and Josh Lazaro. While the five on the floor sparked a 6-0 run to start, Adamson immediately countered by punishing the paint with the size of Cedrick Manzano. Manzano’s back-to-back points prompted Coach Tab Baldwin to bring Kouame back on the floor, moving Ballungay back as a forward. On his part, Ballungay continued to prove that the Adamson defense has no answers for him, scoring eight points in the quarter. With the Ateneo forward’s boost, the Blue Eagles finished the first half with a 10-point advantage, 39-29.

Ateneo’s third quarter was nothing short of complete and utter dominance on both ends of the court. The Blue Eagles spread their wings wide and soared out of the dugout, leaving the Falcons in the dust. Dave Ildefonso, who was held scoreless in the first half, made sure he would not come out of the game without leaving his mark. The Atenean ace dropped eight points and two assists in the third frame to help ignite a 24-7 run that spanned the entire quarter. The Ateneo defense spearheaded by Kouame kept the Adamson offense in check, rendering them helpless as Ateneo scorched the nets on the other end. Koon, who started the quarter ahead of Team Captain BJ Andrade, rewarded the team’s faith in him as he poured in six more points in the third canto. With complete control of the momentum, Ateneo entered the final 10 minutes of the game with a 63-36 cushion.

Hosting a double-digit lead, the Blue Eagles simply needed to keep Adamson out of arm’s reach to secure the victory in the final frame. Ateneo slowed the pace down as they secured their spot in a championship rematch against the Fighting Maroons with an 81-60 rout of the Falcons.

Game 1 of the much-awaited Battle of Katipunan Finals rematch is slated to tip off at 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 11, at the renowned Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. 

Box Scores:

Ateneo (81): Padrigao – 16, Koon – 15, Ballungay – 13, Ildefonso – 11, Kouame – 9, Andrade – 5, Quitevis – 3, Gomez – 3,  Garcia – 3, Daves – 2, Lao – 1 

Adamson (60): Lastimosa – 10, Hanapi – 9, Manzano – 8, Yerro – 7, Douanga – 6, Flowers – 6, Torres – 5, Sabandal – 3, Magbuhos – 3, Colonia – 2, Manlapaz – 1 

Quarter Score:

 Ateneo-AdU: 20-13, 39-29, 63-36, 81-60