USHERING IN the inaugural season of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Esports, the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ NBA 2K team finished with a record of 2-2 in Group A and 1-2 in Group B in the Season 87 opener.
The tournament began yesterday at the Areté’s Doreen Fernandez Black Box in Quezon City.
Ateneo: Boston Celtics vs. UST: Los Angeles Lakers (Group A)
In his first outing for the Blue and White, Team Captain Paolo Medina took on the University of Santo Tomas (UST) on the virtual battlefield. Despite a strong showing and a tight-knit final quarter, the Ateneo Esports stalwart was not able to overcome the Teletigers’ Lakers, 47-52.
Ateneo: Milwaukee Bucks vs. UST: Los Angeles Lakers (Group B)
Utilizing a high dose of pick and roll action between Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ateneo’s Luis Jovellanos was successful in attacking the paint against the Teletigers’ vulnerable interior defense. The consecutive alley-oop completions from the Blue Eagle frustrated UST with a 28-24 deficit at the end of the first half.
In the second half, the Teletiger started to read Ateneo’s offensive strategy, countering with a drop coverage defense to disrupt lob passes. Although Jovellanos had a 44-36 lead, he gave up two three-pointers and a couple of dunks to UST, conceding the lead. In the final play, the Blue Eagle relied on a Lillard driving attempt to force overtime, but had his shot rejected by the defensive stalwart Davis. UST’s 10-0 run proved to be the catalyst in spoiling Ateneo’s first outing in Group B, 44-46.
Ateneo: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. AdU: Boston Celtics (Group A)
Bouncing back from his debut loss, Medina lived up to his captain duties by securing the first win of Ateneo in the 2K Esports tournament. The Blue Eagle maximized the Oklahoma City Thunder’s youthful athleticism and energy to dominate the widely utilized Boston Celtics, 66-45. Achieving one of the highest margins of victory in the tournament thus far, Medina’s 21-point victory will be valuable for Ateneo in the final standings of the tournament in the event of a tiebreaker before the Final Four.
Ateneo: Phoenix Suns vs. NU: Los Angeles Lakers (Group B)
Aiming to replicate his captain’s winning ways, Jovellanos switched up his strategy in his second contest, picking the offense-oriented Phoenix Suns to counter the Laker defense that hindered him in his previous outing. However, this adjustment proved futile as the Blue Eagle conceded to the Bulldog, 38-46.
Ateneo: Milwaukee Bucks vs. UE: Phoenix Suns (Group B)
Returning to his bread and butter team, Jovellanos utilized the Bucks against UE Zenith Esports’ Phoenix Suns. In the first half, both teams seemed evenly matched with UE leaning on the long-range ability of the Suns, while Ateneo relied on aggressive finishes from Antetokounmpo.
With two minutes remaining, UE threatened to cut Ateneo’s 51-46 lead courtesy of Devin Booker’s three-pointers. However, Jovellanos managed to stay composed, sticking to his gameplan of feeding Giannis in the paint. The Blue Eagle’s steady decision-making in the clutch allowed him to secure his first victory of the tournament, 57-51.
Ateneo: Boston Celtics vs. UP: Los Angeles Lakers (Group A)
In a classic Battle of Katipunan, the rival schools faced off in a parallel NBA rivalry match featuring the Celtics and Lakers. Living up to the prestige of the rivalry in real life, both Esports athletes treated the Areté crowd to a tightly-contested match. Medina maximized the depth and all-around strengths of the reigning NBA champions to get his players open. Meanwhile, the Fighting Maroon stayed within striking distance using a bully-ball style of play.
The UP representative showcased variety in the fourth, utilizing off-ball screens to get Austin Reaves open from long distance, which Ateneo found difficulty countering. Facing a 49-52 deficit, Medina had the opportunity to send the game into overtime but failed to execute. The undefeated Fighting Maroon’s defensive rotations prevailed, forcing a Kristaps Porzingis turnover and a smothered Jayson Tatum three-pointer in back-to-back possessions.
Ateneo: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. DLSU: Boston Celtics (Group A)
Looking to conclude his first day on a high note, Medina went back to the team that gave him his first win—the high-octane Thunder, as he went up against DLSU’s selection of Boston. To begin the contest, Medina found himself struggling to keep up with the ball movement of DLSU, going down 11-19 after a fast break Porzingis slam. The half eventually ended with the Blue Eagle facing a seven-point hole, 15-22.
Undeterred by the disadvantage, Medina utilized Oklahoma City superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to spark a 9-4 run to bring his team back to within a bucket, 24-26. The third frame turned into a dogfight as both players traded shots in consecutive possessions, resulting in a 31-all end of quarter deadlock.
The final canto proved to be a thrilling one, as DLSU took a 35-31 lead via two quick Porzingis inside buckets with 2:25 remaining. In a turn of events, Medina responded with a massive 12-0 run for a game-changing 12-point swing. This blitz was capped by an incredible sequence of steals to ice the game and secure the victory, 43-35.
Gunning for more wins and points to qualify for a semifinal spot, the Blue and White will be back at the same venue tomorrow for day two of the tournament.
Group A Standings (W-L):
- UST Teletigers Esports Club (4-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-0)
- FEU Tamaraws Esports (2-1)
- Ateneo Blue Eagles (2-2)
- DLSU Viridis Arcus Esports (2-2)
- UE Zenith Warriors (1-2)
- AdU Falcons (0-3)
- NU Bulldogs (0-4)
Group B Standings (W-L):
- DLSU Viridis Arcus Esports (4-0)
- UST Teletigers Esports Club (3-0)
- FEU Tamaraws Esports (2-1)
- NU Bulldogs (2-2)
- Ateneo Blue Eagles (1-2)
- UE Zenith Warriors (1-2)
- AdU Falcons (1-3)
- UP Fighting Maroons (0-3)
