THE ATENEO Blue Eagles tamed the Lions of The University of Sydney (USYD) after an impressive three-point shooting night, 88-50. The game was held last night at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

This victory moves the Blue Eagles up to the semifinals of the World University Basketball Series (WUBS) and puts them only two wins away from successfully defending their crown.

Ateneo came out the gates strong with an early 10-1 run, spearheaded by Jason Credo’s five points in the first three minutes of the ballgame.

The Lions immediately extinguished the Blue and White’s lead after Head Coach Tom Garlepp’s early timeout helped cut the Blue Eagles’ lead to just one midway through the opening canto, 12-11.

However, this first-quarter run would prove to be USYD’s last positive stretch in the game, as the Australian-based team struggled to stay consistent on both ends of the floor as the match progressed.

Capitalizing on this development, Ateneo’s lead ballooned to 20 in the second quarter, 49-29, thanks to Mason Amos and Credo’s outside shooting as well as Paul Garcia’s solid defensive performance.

The Philippine-based squad would not take their feet off the pedal as they pulled away for good at the beginning of the second half, thanks to stellar shooting from Amos and Gab Gomez.

The Blue Eagles cruised throughout the fourth quarter as the Lions could not respond to Ateneo’s on-court chemistry, ending the contest with a final score of 88-50.

With the win, the Blue Eagles will face off against the Hakuoh University Soldiers for a spot in the WUBS finals on Saturday, August 12, 5:30 PM at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

Quarter Scores:

21-16, 49-29, 70-38, 88-50