THE ATENEO Blue Eagles completed a two-day sweep in the 2025 University Top League (UTL) Tournament, earning themselves a place atop the table with a spotless 4-0 record. The final two matches were held earlier today, August 13, at the Moriguchi City Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan.
Ateneo started off strong after dispatching the Nagoya Gakuin University (NGU) with a 70-point lead, 105-35. A few hours later, the Blue Eagles masterfully asserted their dominance against the Japan University of Economics (JUE), 82-51.
Ateneo vs. Nagoya Gakuin University
Eager to come away on top of the standings, the Blue Eagles turned to sharpshooter Drew Bongo to deliver the first basket of the match, 3-0. Attacking the defense early in transition, the Blue and White’s fast-paced attack put them ahead, 12-5.
With the Japanese squad unable to score against the Blue Eagles’ ironclad defense, Ateneo stretched their lead to double digits, 17-5, following an and-one conversion from Kymani Ladi.
As Shawn Tuano skied in for an emphatic putback jam, the Ateneo advantage grew to 26-9 with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Adding on to the Blue Eagle lead, forward Josh Lazaro drilled his patented midrange jumper, as the first quarter ended with the Blue Eagles in front, 30-11.
Relentless in their defensive efforts, the Blue Eagles forced back-to-back turnovers at the onset of the second canto to maintain their lead, 34-12. Capping off an 11-5 run, Kyle Ong delivered three consecutive baskets at the rim, 45-17.
Stamping their impact on both ends of the hardwood, Ateneo’s Ian Espinosa led a 7-2 run with five points of his own to keep the Katipunan-based unit firmly in the driver’s seat, 52-21. As the final seconds ticked away in the second quarter, Dominic Escobar sank a long-range bomb from beyond the arc, closing out Ateneo’s near-perfect first half, 61-21.
Ateneo’s dominance carried over to the third canto, as they rattled off 11 points in two minutes, 72-23. Finding another gear in the second half, Ladi made his mark in the third quarter, showcasing his prowess from beyond the arc, 79-26.
Waki Espina’s hot shooting then paved the way for another 11-0 blast, keeping momentum towards the Blue and White, 90-26. With the Japanese unit continuing to fire blanks all over the court, Ateneo found themselves up by 68 points at the end of the third quarter, 96-28.
The fourth quarter saw more of the same dynamics from both units, with Ateneo continuing to score baskets in the paint courtesy of Escobar, 100-30.
While the Nagoya-based squad showed an improved offensive flow in the final frame, the Blue and White’s offensive firepower proved to be unmatchable, as Ateneo continued to cruise with four minutes remaining, 103-33.
In one of their best offseason performances, the Blue Eagles captured their third win of the tournament, 105-35, placing them one win away from a first-place finish.
Ateneo vs. Japan University of Economics
Hungry to finish the tournament undefeated, the Blue Eagles exhibited their prowess on the hardwood against JUE. The Blue and White immediately blitzed JUE in the opening quarter with an 11-2 run, powered by their flawless ball movement and pestering defense.
Despite the Japan-based squad’s 9-3 run that cut the deficit to three, 14-11, the Katipunan-based squad commandingly responded with a 9-2 run that extended their lead to 10, 23-13. Espinosa plunged JUE into a deeper hole after closing the quarter with a buzzer-beating midrange that gave the Blue Eagles their biggest lead, 25-13.
Escobar and Bongo welcomed JUE in the second quarter with back-to-back threes, 31-13, but Ateneo’s mini run was later halted with two consecutive paint buckets and a free throw from the opposing squad, 31-18. Looking to shift the momentum back on their side, the Blue Eagles bombarded their opponents with an 11-0 avalanche piloted by Escobar’s five points from the charity stripe and paint, 42-18.
However, the Katipunan-based squad’s momentum was slightly halted after Tuano received a technical foul for hanging on the rim, giving JUE two effortless points from the free throw line, 42-20. Not giving an inch, Tuano closed the first half by reclaiming the two points with a midrange shot off a broken play, thickening their cushion to 24, 44-20.
Jared Bahay opened the penultimate quarter with an and-one, but JUE was quick on their feet as they responded with a layup and a deep three, 46-25. As the back-and-forth affair continued on both ends of the court, JUE took advantage of the sloppy rebounding ploys of Ateneo and orchestrated a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 20, 54-34.
Despite these shortcomings, Ateneo returned to form in the dying minutes of the frame, executing a 10-4 blitz to extend their cushion to 26, 64-38.
The poised Blue and White struck JUE with two treys alongside a bucket in the paint in the opening of the last canto, 72-42. As JUE struggled to find their offensive rhythm due to the pestering defense of the Blue Eagles, Ateneo kept on imposing their force on the in the paint, 78-47.
Lebron Nieto then wrapped up the game with a floater off a broken play, helping theBlue and White cement a dominant 31-point win, 82-51.
After triumphantly wrapping up their Japan stint with a championship, the Blue Eagles turn their focus to the upcoming University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament this September.
