THE ATENEO Blue Eagles fended off the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons with a 75-66 win in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 tournament. The season’s second Battle of Katipunan match was held earlier this afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
With the Blue Eagles’ willful display, Head Coach LA Mumar’s roster augmented their record to 6-5, solidifying their position in fourth place in the standings.
The towering presence of reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kacey Dela Rosa was instrumental in today’s game as she recorded a monster line of 28 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks, and two steals for Ateneo.
In the opening canto, the Katipunan-based teams traded assertive offensive baskets to kick off the rivalry match. Ateneo turned over their first play of the game, which turned into a Kaye Pesquera three-pointer. Answering back quickly, Seng Calago buried a three after a series of free throw attempts from both teams, taking the lead for Ateneo, 5-4.
The midpoint of the quarter saw both units trade jumpers, with Dela Rosa draining a long-range bomb in response to Louna Ozar’s shot, cutting the Blue Eagle lead to 11-8. Within the remaining minutes, the Blue and White designed two-point plays to close out the canto in their favor, 20-14.
As the second frame commenced, precarious sequences halted Ateneo’s scoring, giving UP a chance to level the playing field. After a turnover from the Blue Eagles, UP cashed in with makes on two consecutive offensive sequences, drawing within two of Ateneo, 18-20.
Subsequently, the Fighting Maroons doubled down, retorting a Sarah Makanjuola lay-up with Christie Bariquit’s deep three-pointer to tie the game at 26-apiece. In response, Dela Rosa scored her 15th point of the game with a drive that helped her squad regain the upper hand, 28-26. The Katipunan rivals continued to exchange blows, with Dela Rosa and Pesquera trading two-point plays to close out the first half at 32-31.
At the start of the penultimate quarter, the Blue and White surrendered their lead after allowing the Fighting Maroons to ride a 4-0 run, 32-35. Despite their lackluster play early in the canto, Ateneo remained within striking distance after adjusting their defensive schemes, making it more challenging for UP to execute their offense.
With Ateneo turning defense into offense, Calago tied the ballgame at 39-39 in courtesy of her massive four-point play. However, the floor general’s momentum was halted by the pestering UP defense, pushing the Blue Eagle to commit three consecutive turnovers.
The Blue and White saw a glimpse of light once again after Ozar committed her fourth personal foul, forcing her to sit on the sideline momentarily. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Oani connected on a bucket from beyond the arc, followed by a coast-to-coast play from Calago.
Despite Dela Rosa’s missed three-point attempt in Ateneo’s last possession of the canto, the Blue Eagles still finished the quarter with a precarious one-point lead, 47-46.
Keen on padding their cushion, the Blue Eagles orchestrated an 11-2 run in the start of the final frame with a pair of triples along with and-one opportunities to extend the lead to double-digits, 58-48.
With five minutes left in the game, Ozar exited the contest after her fifth foul, which Ateneo further exploited, conducting a 7-0 run anchored by the reigning MVP’s back-to-back buckets, 71-60.
As the Blue Eagles thought the dust had settled, the Fighting Maroons came knocking on their door again as Shanina Tapawan single-handedly made a 6-0 UP run, forcing an Ateneo timeout.
With less than two minutes left, UP became hampered with self-inflicted miscues on their inbound plays, forcing them to play the foul game as their odds for a comeback dwindled. Making use of the opportunity, Ateneo’s Oani drained all four of her tries from the charity stripe, sealing the win for the Blue and White, 75-66.
Hungry to further bolster their Final Four case, the Blue and White will face the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on November 9, Saturday, 10:00 AM, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (75): Dela Rosa – 28, Calago – 14, Oani – 9, Makanjuola – 8, Batongbakal – 8, Villacruz – 3, Cancio – 3, Aquirre – 2, Angala – 0, Cruza – 0, Eufemiano – 0
UP (66): Pesquera – 17, Ozar – 16, Tapawan – 10, Bariquit – 8, Maw – 6, Mendoza – 5, Sauz – 2, Vingno – 2, Nolasco – 0, Lozada – 0, Jimenez – 0, Solitario – 0
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UP: 20-14, 32-31, 47-46, 75-66
Current Standings (W-L):
- NU Lady Bulldogs (9-0)
- UST Growling Tigresses (9-1)
- AdU Lady Falcons (8-3)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (6-5)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-7)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (2-7)
- DLSU Lady Archers (2-8)
- UE Lady Warriors (1-9)
