IN A hard-fought Final Four contest, the Ateneo Blue Eagles conceded to their Ermita-based rivals, the Adamson (AdU) Lady Falcons, in a heartbreaking 53-59 defeat. The matchup took place earlier today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Most Valuable Player award frontrunner Kacey Dela Rosa poured in a valiant performance with a double-double of 24 points and 19 rebounds. Fellow juniors Seng Calago and Sarah Makanjuola followed suit with a combined total of 24 points.
The Blue Eagles set foot on the hardwood with heightened offensive ruses to open the first frame of the stepladder match. Although the Katipunan-based squad struggled to stifle AdU’s early baskets, the Lady Falcons’ foul trouble allowed Ateneo to steer ahead, 8-6.
In hopes of taking control, AdU’s Angela Alaba rallied back with a go-ahead three to give the Lady Falcons the lead, 13-12. With a few seconds left on the clock in the first quarter, a last-second basket from rookie Nicole Aguirre handed Ateneo the lead once more, 14-13.
A quick field goal from the Lady Falcons momentarily put the Blue Eagles behind in the opening of the second canto, 14-15. While both units traded baskets to keep the scores close, the Blue Eagles focused on attacking the inside to draw a 21-all deadlock.
As Ateneo fought tooth-and-nail to stay afloat, Dela Rosa went two-for-two from the free throw line to give the Katipunan cagers a slim 25-23 lead as they concluded the first half.
Both teams once again engaged in a back-and-forth tussle to start the third frame. With five minutes left in the penultimate canto, point guard Calago crashed the glass for a putback shot to tie the game, 32-32. The sequence was immediately followed by a Kai Oani isolation play, allowing her to utilize an open lane for a swift drive that recaptured the lead for the Blue and White, 34-32.
Foul trouble became a prominent issue even for Ateneo, as Dela Rosa already notched her fourth foul of the game with around two minutes left in the third. As Makanjoula was left protecting the rim with the superstar on the bench, the Lady Falcons feasted on the Blue Eagles’ shaky inside presence, 40-34.
As the fourth quarter kicked off, the Blue Eagles gave it their all and left nothing on the table. Being subbed back into the contest with her four fouls, Dela Rosa re-emerged with four straight markers in the paint to cut the AdU lead to three, 39-42.
After a hard skirmish for the ball, Makanjuola once again stepped to the free-throw line and split her charity shots, cutting Adamson’s lead to 40-42. Ultimately turning the tides, Dela Rosa went back on the court and delivered on a crucial and-one play to place Ateneo in the driver’s seat, 43-42.
A momentary drought befell both teams as both squads amped up their defensive efforts. With three minutes left, Victoria Adeshina scored a crucial basket plus an accompanying bonus free-throw to swing the favor back to Adamson, 45-43. Nearing the two-minute mark, Dela Rosa crashed the glass hard after two misses by Makanjuola at the free throw line, leading to another much-needed and-one play, 45-all.
With 58 seconds left in the fourth, Calago rose to the occasion as he drained a clutch three-pointer to give Ateneo the lead, 48-47. After the dynamic guard split his free throws in the next play, the Blue and White carried a slim 49-47 lead with roughly 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
On the brink of elimination, Adamson had one last trick up their sleeve as Cheska Apag nailed a second-chance teardrop in the corner to tie the game with five seconds left on the clock. With no response from Ateneo’s offense, the game headed into overtime with a 49-49 scoreline.
In the extra period, the Lady Falcons carried over their momentum from the fourth quarter by scoring five straight points, 54-49. With the season starting to look grim for Ateneo, Dela Rosa sprinted to the other end for a layup, 51-54.
Fatigue further set in for the Blue and White as a scoring drought ensnared the Katipunan-based squad. With a minute to go, Dela Rosa barged her way down the post to break the Blue Eagles’ cold streak, 53-56.
With little time left, Calago was forced to foul Apag, who then increased the Lady Falcons’ margin to two possessions, 57-53. After another productive trip to the line for Adamson, the Blue Eagles’ championship bid was officially cut short, 53-59.
Despite the brutal end to their UAAP campaign, the Blue Eagles have still put together a commendable season. From securing their third consecutive Final Four appearance to standing toe-to-toe with the Lady Falcons in the stepladder, more can be looked forward to from the Blue and White next season.
Box scores:
Ateneo (53): Dela Rosa – 19, Calago – 14, Makanjuola – 10, Oani – 5, Villacruz – 2, Aguirre – 2, Batongbakal – 1
Adamson (59): Etang – 52, Adeshina – 16, Apag – 10, Limbago – 3, Alaba – 3, Meniano – 2, Agojo – 2, Padilla – 1
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-AdU: 14-13, 25-23, 34-40, 49-49, 53-59
