AFTER A back-and-forth skirmish, the Ateneo Blue Eagles fell at the hands of the Adamson Lady Falcons, 52-58, in their final University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 elimination round game. Today’s highly-anticipated matchup took place earlier today at the Filoil EcoOil Center in San Juan City.
With this loss, the Blue and White conclude the elimination round with a win-loss record of 8-6, holding steady at fourth in the standings.
Most Valuable Player frontrunner Kacey Dela Rosa posted another double-double performance for Ateneo with 15 points and 19 rebounds. On the other hand, Adamson’s Novie Ornopia produced ten points to lead the Lady Falcons in scoring.
The Blue Eagles got off to a slow start after committing three turnovers, allowing the Lady Falcons to jump to a quick 6-0 lead. Despite early concerns, Ateneo quickly got back into the game, with Adamson’s Victoria Adeshina picking up two fouls in the first three minutes of the quarter. The Dela Rosa-led frontcourt then started to dominate inside the paint, propelling an 8-0 run for Ateneo, 8-6.
Although the Katipunan-based squad’s offense started to generate open looks, their tendency to commit undisciplined fouls and defensive lapses caused Adamson to take another six-point advantage at the end of the first period, 13-19.
In the second quarter, the Lady Falcons’ offense continued to thrive, utilizing cuts to the basket to find open lanes. Adamson’s in-system play posed challenges to Ateneo’s interior defense, as the Blue Eagles eventually fell behind, 15-23. The Blue and White also missed nine free throws in the first half, hampering their ability to put points on the board.
Countering Adamson’s attempt to break away, Sarah Makanjoula and Seng Calago led the Blue and While’s aggressive efforts to steer Ateneo’s offense and help them end the period within striking distance, 28-33.
Eager to bounce back, the Blue Eagles kickstarted the second half with Calago finding Dela Rosa in the paint for the easy lay-up, 30-33. In response, the Lady Falcons began to establish a full-court press, limiting Ateneo’s points in the process. Following a dominant run by Adamson, Makanjuola finally stopped the bleeding after getting two points in the post, 34-42. Capping off the penultimate quarter, veteran Sandra Villacruz sliced through the defense on multiple occasions, leading to opportunities at the charity stripe, 39-45.
With one more quarter of play remaining, the Blue Eagles’ struggles persisted as they continued to commit costly turnovers and errors off miscommunication on both ends of the floor. Coupled with an offensive barrage by the Lady Falcons, Ateneo’s deficit gradually returned to double digits, 39-49, with a long-range three from Crisnalyn Padilla capping off Adamson’s run and extending their advantage to 39-54.
Eager to keep the Blue Eagles in the fight, floor general Calago served as the spark plug for Ateneo, drawing up fouls for easy makes at the free throw line , 42-54. With newfound momentum on their side, the Katipunan-based unit began their offensive charge.
Dela Rosa kicked things off after showing her muscle inside through second-chance points, 45-54. Angelica Eufemiano also provided a boost coming off the bench with a floater high off the glass, 47-54. Finally, Calago took advantage of Makajuola’s screen to cut the lead to five, 49-54.
With less than two minutes left, the Blue Eagles’ charge was abruptly halted by the Lady Falcons. The San Marcelino-based cagers forced Ateneo into multiple turnovers, resulting in four fastbreak points. A shot down the inside by Adamson’s Oluwakemi Adeshina increased their advantage to nine with 50 seconds remaining, 49-58. Despite the late three by Kai Oani, the Blue and White’s efforts at a comeback ultimately came up short, giving up the match, 52-58, and consequently settling for the fourth seed.
Following National University’s victory earlier today, the postseason will follow a stepladder format. The Blue Eagles will once again face the Lady Falcons in a knockout contest, with the winner of the match advancing to the semifinals against the second-seeded University of Santo Tomas. As of writing, the schedule for the playoff games has yet to be announced.
Box scores:
Ateneo (52): Dela Rosa – 15, Calago – 13, Makanjuola – 11, Villacruz – 6, Oani- 3, Batongbakal- 2, Eufemiano -2, Angala – 0, Cruza – 0, Cancio -0, Olivenza – 0, Lopez -0, Aquirre -0
Adamson (58): Ornopia – 10, Etang – 9, Adeshina – 8, Apag – 6, Padilla – 6, Aa. Alaba – 5, Ai. Alaba – 5, Manlimos – 3, Mazo – 2, Limbago – 2, Agojo – 2, Meniano – 0, Bajo – 0, Delos Santos – 0, Cortez – 0, Trabado – 0
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-AdU: 13-19, 28-33, 39-45, 52-58
Current Standings (W-L):
- NU Lady Bulldogs (14-0)
- UST Growling Tigresses (12-2)
- AdU Lady Falcons (9-5)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (8-6)
- DLSU Lady Archers (4-10)
- UP Fighting Maroons (4-9)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (3-11)
- UE Lady Warriors (1-12)
