THE ATENEO Blue Eagles clawed their way back from down 12 to upset the San Beda Red Lions in overtime, 89-88, in the 2025 Asiabasket College Campus Tour. The semifinal match was held earlier today at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center in Quezon City.
Today’s victory helped the Blue Eagles advance into the finals of the Asiabasket tournament, setting up a fitting rematch against the De La Salle Green Archers.
Ateneo leaned on Player of the Game Shawn Tuano’s offense, as he dropped 22 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Meanwhile, Divine Adili added 17 points, while Bahay dished nine assists and grabbed eight rebounds.
On the opposing end, rookie Janti Miller led the Red Lions in scoring with a double-double of 20 markers and 10 boards while Jomel Puno chipped in 15 points in their losing effort.
As in their recent games, the Blue and White started off sluggish, failing to chase the Red Lions across the floor. Despite an early floater from Adili, San Beda’s Miller drained two jumpers to put them ahead, 2-5. The Blue Eagles’ defensive lapses continued, as the unit surrendered threes and putbacks that put them at a 3-13 hole.
Coming out of a timeout at the halfway mark, the home team came out determined to even the battle. Fresh off the bench, Ian Espinosa entered the game and dictated the pace, helping Ateneo get on a 6-0 run to keep the score close, 9-13. However, the Red Lions maintained control as the Blue and White were unable to secure rebounds. In the closing minutes of the quarter, Waki Espina aided the Katipunan-based team’s efforts to rally, as the youngster put more pressure on the rim and drew fouls. Espina’s run was highlighted by a tough block, followed by Josh Lazaro’s buzzer-beating layup that ended the frame at 21-24.
The following quarter saw both teams trading baskets at the rim, with Lazaro continuing his aggressive play to keep the game tightly contested, 25-29. While the Blue Eagles still faced issues in the paint, Kymani Ladi’s pick-and-pop triple and hook shot marked his first field goals and drew his team to within one, 35-36.
However, Ateneo’s defensive woes persisted, as the Red Lions launched a 12-3 run by finding easy lanes to the basket and baiting the Blue Eagles into fouls. Even with Tuano’s fastbreak and-one and Bahay’s three that slightly calmed the waters, Ateneo still entered halftime staring at a 10-point deficit, 43-53.
Looking to inch back into the game, the Blue Eagles orchestrated a quick 6-0 run to kick off the third quarter, fueled by an incredible dunk by Adili off an assist from Bahay, 49-53. However, the Red Lions quickly responded with a Bryan Sajonia three-point play and a triple from forward Zed Etulle, ballooning Ateneo’s deficit back to nine, 50-59.
In a game of runs, the Blue and White fought back with consecutive buckets, 54-59, but the Mendiola-based squad countered by limiting Ateneo to just two points in the next two minutes. With little resistance from the Blue Eagles, San Beda quickly sparked an 11-2 run with a triple by Team Captain Yukien Andrada and points from Etulle, 56-70.
With their backs against the wall, Ateneo refused to back down and managed to get within single digits by the end of the third period with Ladi’s three-pointer and Bahay’s buzzer-beater, 63-70.
Keeping their momentum going, the Blue Eagles punished the Red Lions in the paint throughout the start of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to just one, 69-70, forcing San Beda to call for time. With the Blue and White faithful at home growing louder, Nygel Gonzales quickly silenced the Moro crowd by steering the Red Lions to a 6-2 run, 71-76.
However, in stunning fashion, the Katipunan-based squad rallied back despite a technical foul on Adili, as a deuce by Bahay and a clutch and-one opportunity for Tuano allowed Ateneo to tie the game at 79-all.
With Tuano missing the succeeding free throw, the Blue Eagles put up one last defensive stand against San Beda’s Miller. Having eight seconds left to pull off a game-winner, Ateneo scrambled and failed to put up a shot as the match headed into overtime.
Making up for his missed charity, Tuano put on a show in the final five minutes of extended play, claiming Ateneo’s first lead since the first possession of the game, 81-79. He went basket-for-basket with Miller, 84-85, before another one of his buckets, coupled with a two-pointer by Ladi, sealed the Blue Eagles’ biggest lead of the game, 89-86.
Bahay then committed a tactical foul up three with Gonzales hitting both free throws. Espinosa was subsequently fouled with only a couple of ticks left in overtime. The starting guard then missed both his shots at the line, but a crucial defensive stop by Ateneo secured their comeback and ticket to the finals, 89-88.
After his monster outing that lifted Ateneo into the finals, Tuano recognized his impact despite his averages throughout the tournament. “[The opportunity] only comes once, so you’ve got to be ready for that,” he shared.
Looking forward to their rivalry rematch tomorrow against La Salle, he mentioned how this evening’s win adds fuel and momentum to their fight not just in Asiabasket, but for the upcoming UAAP season as well.
“It’s homecourt. They beat us last time, so we’re looking to get revenge. Tomorrow will be a battle for sure,” Tuano added.
The Blue and White will have the chance to exact revenge against their archrivals in a championship showdown, once again at home, tomorrow at 4:00 PM.
Box Scores:
Ateneo (89): Tuano – 22, Adili – 17, Bahay – 12, Ladi – 10, Lazaro – 8, Espina – 7, Bongo – 6, Espinosa – 5, Gamber – 2, De Luna – 0
San Beda (88): Miller – 20, Puno – 15, Andrada – 12, Sajonia – 8, Gonzales – 8, Estacio – 5, Lina – 4, Calimag – 3, Celzo – 0, Reyes – 0, Hawkins – 0
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-San Beda: 21-24, 43-53, 63-70, 79-79, 89-88
