IN HOPES of improving their record anew, the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ road to victory remained turbulent in their second day of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 3×3 Basketball Tournament action. The string of gritty match-ups was held at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in the City of Parañaque.
Among the Atenean selections, an exquisite outing from Junize Calago charged Ateneo to their first win, scoring a total of nine points and 12 rebounds against the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors. Meanwhile, Blue Eagle Javi Adevoso put up a laudable seven points and five rebounds to bolster the Men’s squad in their match against the National University (NU) Bulldogs.
Women’s Tournament
In the opening battle, the Blue and White athletes struggled to steal a march over the NU Lady Bulldogs, surrendering the first game, 7-18. With electric shooting displays from NU’s Ann Pingol, Tin Cayabyab, Boni Solis, and Aloha Betanio, the fiery opposition secured a 51.9% (14/27 FG) performance against the Loyola-heights squad.
Early on, the Blue Eagles struggled to find their rhythm against the Sampaloc-based triad, supplying a ten-point lead for the opposition, 1-11. The Blue Eagles strived to retaliate against NU’s persistent blows, but eventually surrendered to a 7-18 defeat.
Raring to bounce back, the Blue and White’s match against UE proved decisive as they rallied to secure their first win of the tournament, 16-12. Stellar plays from Ateneo sophomore Junize Calago, who contributed an impressive total of nine points and 12 rebounds, drove the team to a commanding position against their adversaries in the contest.
Looking to shift the momentum in their favor, the Blue Eagles opened the match by capitalizing on their offensive onslaught from the interior. Further bolstered by Calago’s impressive display on the court, the Blue and White seized early control of the game. Sustaining consistent offensive pressure and composure, the Katipunan cagers nailed down the 16-12 victory, indicating signs of rejuvenation in the tournament.
Men’s Tournament
Switching up to the Men’s competition, Ateneo pressed on with spirited efforts on the court, but eventually succumbed to the fiery University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 4-21.
For the opposing side, Ethan Galang ignited UE to winning ways, putting up 13 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks against the stalwart Ateneans.
From the opening plays of the contest, the Blue Eagles failed to pacify UE’s wave of buckets in the paint, leading to a seventeen point lead for the Manila-based team, 0-17. In hopes of putting up a good fight, Blue Eagles Xavier Tanjangco and Andre Tan hustled in points for the Katipunan line-up. However, with a deficit far too steep to overcome, the UE athletes eventually shut down Ateneo’s mission to victory with a 4-21 loss.
In a bid to end their unfavorable stretch, the Blue and White geared up to engage with the Bulldogs for their final match of the day. However, Ateneo’s hopes were promptly dashed as they endured a gut-wrenching 11-19 defeat. The NU quartet was led by Jolo Manansala whose performance included a total of eight points and five rebounds, spearheading their relentless offensive onslaught against Ateneo.
The Blue and White fiercely battled the blazing maneuvers of their opponents, who honed in on controlling the paint with their offensive prowess. Further tipping the scales to their advantage, the Bulldogs adeptness at contesting field goals proved to be another challenge for the Blue Eagles to surmount. Struggling to carve out breathing space on the court, Ateneo ultimately fell short in overcoming NU’s unyielding advances, tallying their fourth consecutive defeat of the tournament.
Both teams are set to engage in more court action tomorrow for the third day of games in the tournament. The Men’s Team will take on the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers and Adamson Soaring Falcons, while the Women’s Team will face the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons and DLSU Lady Archers.
All games will take place tomorrow starting at 2:40 PM in the same venue.
Men’s Standings (W-L)
- DLSU Green Archers (4-0)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (3-1)
- NU Bulldogs (3-1)
- FEU Tamaraws (2-2)
- UE Red Warriors (2-2)
- UST Growling Tigers (1-3)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-3)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-4)
Women’s Standings (W-L)
- UST Lady Tigresses (4-0)
- DLSU Lady Archers (3-1)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (3-1)
- ADU Lady Falcons (2-2)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-3)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (1-3)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-3)
- UE Lady Warriors (1-3)
