BREAKING PAST their historic slump, the Ateneo Blue Eagles survived the Adamson University Soaring Falcons’ fourth-quarter surge, 60-51, to clinch their first victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 tournament.
The Blue Eagles’ fourth game of the season took place earlier tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Finally ending the Blue and White’s three-game opening skid—their worst start since Season 76—tonight’s triumph gives Ateneo a 1-3 win-loss record, tied for sixth in the standings alongside the National University Bulldogs.
Rookie Kristian Porter reaped Player of the Game honors with eight points and 10 rebounds to mark his presence as Ateneo’s main interior force. The Blue Eagle Band of Brothers also displayed their trademark unselfishness on offense, with eight players of the Blue and White scoring at least five points and dishing out 16 assists to Adamson’s eight.
The game also saw the return from injury of Team Captain Chris Koon, who set the tone in the opening canto with a bucket from downtown, 3-0. Further flexing their might, the Blue Eagles clamped down on the defensive end that led to buckets from Sean Quitevis and Josh Lazaro to pad their lead, 12-2.
The rest of the quarter was marked by the further tightening of the Blue Eagles’ defense, which limited Adamson’s offense to only four more points in the frame. On the offensive end, forward Andrew Bongo added five points of his own to end the quarter comfortably for the Blue and White, 17-6.
The start of the second quarter saw the Ateneo defense continue with its stinginess and aggression. Showing active hands, the Blue Eagles forced Adamson to commit 12 turnovers in the first half and converted them into six points. Both teams then struggled to score until Adamson’s Joshua Yerro converted two free throws at the 7:56 mark.
Ateneo’s offensive engine slowly revved up in the latter portion of the quarter, with an 8-2 run increasing their lead to as many as 15 points, 27-12. The Soaring Falcons showed no quit, however, as they ended the half with a four-point mini-run courtesy of Eli Ramos to trim Ateneo’s advantage to 31-20.
Seeking to maintain their momentum, the Blue Eagles opened the second half with a Jared Bahay three to extend their lead to 34-20. However, missed shot attempts and foul trouble on the Blue and White’s end decelerated the game’s pace, allowing Adamson to sneak in four extra points, 24-34.
Unwilling to fall victim once more to their early-season second half woes, the Katipunan-based unit turned the quarter around with a 10-4 run led by Shawn Tuano and Porter to keep a 44-28 advantage.
While Adamson exerted further effort to draw closer to the Blue Eagles, Ateneo remained relentless with their offensive attacks, ending the third quarter with a Kyle Gamber three and Bongo two, 50-36.
The San Marcelino-based squad started out the final frame with three consecutive baskets, 42-50, forcing Head Coach Tab Baldwin to call an Ateneo timeout at the eight-minute mark. Despite Baldwin’s efforts to corral his squad, a six-point flurry by Cedrick Manzano of Adamson further gashed the Blue Eagles’ defense to bring the ballgame to as close as three, 49-52.
With Adamson’s fierce comeback bid, mistakes further mounted on the side of Ateneo as the late-game pressure saw them commit a failed alley-oop and several turnovers, allowing the Soaring Falcons to keep within a single possession, 51-54.
However, Porter’s spectacular interior defense fended off Adamson’s offensive barrage, forcing the Soaring Falcons to desperately commit fouls with the game slipping away out of their hands. Capitalizing on this, Tuano nailed four out of five of his pressure-packed free throws to ice the game for the Blue Eagles, 60-51.
Ateneo blossomed defensively in the win, impressively keeping Adamson scoreless from deep, as the latter shot 0/17 from beyond the arc. Additionally, the Blue and White’s defensive clinic also shined throughout the bout via their steals, as the Blue Eagles accumulated nine steals to Adamson’s paltry one. Moreover, Ateneo’s composure finally reaped its rewards, winning the turnover battle 10-18.
After finally snapping their three-game slide, Baldwin lauded the team’s hustle to claim the win. Although he acknowledged Ateneo’s near fourth-quarter collapse, the Atenean tactician commended the team for shoring up their third-quarter woes. “We’re obviously very happy. The guys fought really hard,” he said.
The Blue Eagles seek to build momentum as they face the Far Eastern University Tamaraws next Sunday, September 27, at 6:30 PM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (60): Tuano – 11, Porter – 8, Koon – 8, Lazaro – 7, Bongo – 7, Gamber – 6, Quitevis – 5, Bahay – 5, Espinosa – 2, Balogun – 1, Ong – 0, Edu – 0, Espina – 0
AdU (51): Manzano – 14, Yerro – 6, Ramos – 6, Erolon – 4, Anabo – 4, Barasi Jr. – 4, Ojarikre – 2, Fransman – 2, Calisay – 2, Mantua – 2, Montebon – 2, Dignadice – 2, Alexander – 1
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-AdU: 17-6, 31-20, 50-36, 60-51
Current Standings (W-L):
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-0)
- DLSU Green Archers (3-0)
- UST Growling Tigers (3-1)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (2-2)
- UE Red Warriors (1-2)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-3)
- NU Bulldogs (1-3)
- FEU Tamaraws (0-3)
