FRESH OFF a thrilling overtime victory in their previous game, the Ateneo Blue Eagles carried on their winning ways, defeating the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 62-60. The match was held earlier today, September 24, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in the City of Manila.
With this win, the Blue Eagles moved to a 2-0 record for the first time since the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) Season 85 Men’s Basketball tournament.
Kymani Ladi came up big for the Blue Eagles as he notched his second consecutive Player of the Game award after recording a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Despite coming off the bench, the hot hands of Waki Espina fueled his four out of six shooting from beyond the arc, helping him tally 17 points.
Early in the frame, the Blue Eagles immediately pressured the Red Warriors with a 9-2 run sparked by Dom Escobar’s inside presence and Espina’s two threes. From there, both squads traded blows on the offensive end, but Ateneo secured a six-point advantage, 19-13, after Kyle Gamber drilled a three-pointer off the bench.
Before the first quarter buzzer, Team Captain Ladi nabbed his first basket with a turnaround elbow jumper, extending Ateneo’s lead to seven, 21-14.
Ladi picked up where he left off to start the second frame, nailing another turnaround jumper, while Escobar exposed the Red Warriors’ sloppy defense with a jumper of his own, 25-16. Despite allowing a 6-2 UE blitz, the Katipunan-based squad countered with a 6-0 run, expanding their lead to double-digits, 33-22.
With Blue and White’s pestering defense and aggressive perimeter offense, they capped the first half with a well-arranged play that left Jared Bahay open in the paint, 35-24.
To open the second half, Divine Adili made an emphatic block, but the Ateneo defense was unable to sustain their defensive pressure, as their lead dwindled to three, 36-33. Following a much-needed timeout, consecutive threes from stalwarts Bahay and Espina stabilized the Blue Eagles, putting up their lead back to six, 42-36. However, midway into the third frame, the Blue and White found themselves in a heated contest against the tough Red Warrior squad, as an and-one basket from Wello Lingolingo tied the contest at 45-all.
Still unable to find the same offensive rhythm they showcased in the first half, the Blue Eagles were held to a mere 10 points for the whole frame with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter. Finally able to break their scoring drought, back-to-back free throws from star forward Ladi ended the third canto, 47-47.
Looking to shake off their struggles from the previous quarter, Ladi once again proved his worth, draining a momentum-shaking three-point basket to surge Ateneo forward, 50-49. With the result of the match still heavily contested with exactly five minutes remaining, another clutch three-point field goal by Espina kept the Blue Eagles in the driver’s seat, 53-51.
After an emphatic basket from Precious Momowei, the Blue Eagles turned to hot-handed Espina once more, as the sophomore rose for a 15-footer to take the lead, 55-53. Following this, the Red Warriors tied the match at 55-55, but Ateneo Team Captain Bahay took the reins for the Blue Eagle attack, netting a midrange basket and free throw of his own, 58-55.
With less than one minute remaining in the fourth quarter, the Blue Eagles saw themselves holding on to a one-point lead following a layup from Drew Jimenez, 58-57. After being unable to convert on their attempt at the basket, the Blue Eagles were hit by a step-back three from Lingolingo, putting Ateneo behind, 58-60.
In a moment built for a star amongst stars, Head Coach Tab Baldwin called on Ladi to step into the limelight, which the star recruit followed. Coming off a downscreen, the forward caught the on-point pass from Bahay and delivered another basket from deep, giving Ateneo back the lead, 61-60.
In need of one more stop to earn their second win of the season, fellow one-and-done Escobar stole the ball from UE star Lingolingo, forcing the latter to commit an unsportsmanlike foul, which extended the Blue Eagle margin, 62-60. After Escobar’s long-time teammate Lazo missed on two free throws, the Red Warriors were given one more opportunity to win the game. However, Escobar once again showed his two-way ability, blocking Momowei’s game-winning attempt, allowing Blue Eagles to escape with a win, 62-60.
Eager to extend their winning streak, the Blue Eagles will face the Adamson Soaring Falcons at 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 28, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (62): Ladi – 18, Espina – 17, Bahay – 8, Escobar – 7, Lazaro – 3, Gamber – 3, Bongo – 2, Adili – 2, Espinosa – 1, Lazo – 1, Tuano – 0, Ong – 0
UE (60): Lingolingo – 19, Abate – 11, Momowei – 9, Mulingtapang – 9, Jimenez – 6, Caoile – 4, Malaga – 2, Robles – 0, Tanedo – 0
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UE: 21-14, 35-24, 47-47, 62-60
Current Standings (W-L):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (2-0)
- NU Bulldogs (1-0)
- DLSU Green Archers (1-0)
- UST Growling Tigers (1-0)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (0-1)
- FEU Tamaraws (0-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (0-1)
- UE Red Warriors (0-2)
