With Season 88 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Basketball Tournament in full swing, this weekly series will track the flight path of the Blue Eagles as they seek to proclaim their long-awaited championship.

AFTER BATTLING through another week of intense basketball, the Blue Eagles managed to keep up with the league’s behemoths, maintaining a respectable 4-1 record. Despite the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team sitting on the league’s second seed, many lingering problems remain with the team that cannot solely be solved by UAAP powerhouse Kacey Dela Rosa.

The Blue Eagles continued last week’s dominant streak with a strong showing against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers, 77-58, in a fight that occurred last October 5. The match-up showcased a balanced attack from the Blue and White veterans and rookies, highlighting the team’s new offensive potency.

The squad’s resiliency was then tested in a classic “Battle of Katipunan” against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, where Ateneo had clawed their way to victory, 78-65. In a close-knit contest that happened last October 8, the Blue Eagles unleashed a second-half barrage that gave them their best season start since 2007. 

The Blue and White then engaged in a slugfest, ultimately succumbing to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigresses, 66-75, in Ateneo’s return to the historic Blue Eagle Gym last October 11. The match-up highlighted many of the team’s weaknesses, especially the squad’s reliance on their top stars.

This week, two teams await the second-seeded Blue Eagles: the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, who are right on the heels of Ateneo, and the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws, who are hungry for their first victory.

Ateneo’s recent string of games has shown that the Blue Eagles are shaping up to be Final Four contenders, as they trail the league-leading UST Growling Tigresses by only half a game. With only two contests left in the first round, there are key points that the team needs to acknowledge in order to keep their flight path to the championship intact.

The ‘Kacey Rules’

AJ: Ever since her arrival to the league, many fans, coaches, and players knew that the Blue Eagles would run their game through its most unstoppable and dominant engine in two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kacey Dela Rosa. Included in those who acknowledge her greatness are the Blue and White’s adversaries, having tried all sorts of tactics in order to slow down Ateneo’s strongest pillar. Throughout the squad’s rivalry week, the extremes of the Blue Eagles’ reliance on Dela Rosa greatly showed, for better and for worse.

To begin the week, Ateneo routed the Lady Archers in a 77-58 battle where the Blue Eagles’ adversary chose to bet on the entire team to beat them. In response, Dela Rosa disposed of DLSU on both ends of the court, ending the night by leading the team in all five major categories: 15 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, four blocks, and three steals. Even if her field goal percentage dropped from her otherworldly 80.6%, the MVP’s presence on the court enabled her squad to play more freely, allowing four double-digit scorers in the contest.

When teams actively choose to double the 6’0” center, games like the ones against UP happen. Despite seeing coverage every time she nabbed the ball, Dela Rosa asserted her will through a defense that was not equipped to handle the Gilas mainstay. Forcing the Blue Eagle to battle for every single point, the two-time MVP finished with one of her most dominant double-doubles in her career, collecting 17 points and 20 rebounds. Despite a renewed focus on Dela Rosa, the likes of Erica de Luna and Gracie Batongbakal penetrated the defense to support the Ateneo ace.

However, Dela Rosa finally had her momentum stumped when she faced a suffocating UST team that was equipped with personnel to lock the Blue Eagle in a cage. Ateneo struggled to deliver the ball towards their most offensive weapon, with consecutive possessions ending in turnovers or poor shot selection due to the team’s hesitation in obtaining their own offense.

The game plan of UST was simple—deny Dela Rosa from getting the ball, and if she had managed to nab it, never let her eyes see the basket. Even with its simplicity, the Blue Eagles struggled to break through UST’s tactics, as their long-time superstar was left fending off the Growling Tigresses alone. The hyper-focused strategy led to Dela Rosa recording her most substandard game of the season: six points, nine rebounds, and four turnovers on a staggering 28.6% from the field—her worst shooting percentage since last year’s Final Four overtime thriller. 

If Ateneo desires to acquire their long-awaited championship, relying heavily on Dela Rosa against league juggernauts is an unsustainable approach that must be rectified. Assistance for the center must not be limited to the likes of Sarah Makanjuola, Camille Malagar, or Kai Oani, but must come from their strengthened unity as a team. Another round of solely depending on Dela Rosa may have future repercussions, including putting their Final Four run in jeopardy.

That said, one of the many aspects that the Blue Eagles can do to help ease Dela Rosa’s burden is a facet that Ateneo has mightily struggled on: the fundamentals.

Untapped potential

Laurence: While Dela Rosa’s dominance has been both Ateneo’s greatest weapon and weakness, the Blue Eagles’ struggles this week revealed another issue that runs just as deep—their ball security. Beyond their dependence on their MVP, the Blue and White’s inability to take care of the basketball has also been proven costly, especially against elite competition. 

While the game against the Fighting Maroons and Lady Archers saw blowout wins, both matches witnessed the Blue Eagles averaging 20 turnovers. The reason for the Blue and White’s large margin of victory was due to their opponents not being able to capitalize on their lapses. While this worked against UP and DLSU, a team like the Growling Tigresses will not hesitate to hunt these turnovers. 

Inside home turf, Head Coach L.A. Mumar’s team yielded the ball 31 times against the Growling Tigresses. Compared to UST’s 16 turnovers, it’s clear that this weakness was exploited by the España-based side. Not only did the Blue and White concede possession, but the Loyola-based cagers also gave up 31 points from said lost possessions. In a game where the deficit of defeat was 11 points, it’s clear that these mistakes cost them the match. 

In particular, Malagar significantly struggled with the Growling Tigresses’ suffocating defense, leading the game in turnovers with seven. Alongside Malagar, rookie De Luna gave up the rock five times during her time on the court. Looking at a team comparison, it becomes evident how lopsided this department was for the Blue and White. While the Blue Eagles managed to force six turnovers, the España-based squad came away with an astonishing 25 takeaways. In particular, UST’s Brig Santos accounted for eight of those possessions on her own.

This serves as a wake-up call for the Blue and White. When facing more experienced foes, the Blue Eagles should handle the rock with care, especially against the press. The Loyola-based cagers struggled in this aspect, going to the coffin corner during pressure. Instead of dictating play from the backcourt, the ball handlers from Ateneo let their opponents, especially the Growling Tigresses, play their brand of basketball.  

Although it may seem trivial, ball retention issues can be fixed by the Blue and White through improved in-game communication and chemistry. If the Loyola-based squad can remedy this weakness, who knows how high they can soar this season?

Shooters shoot

Ani: Despite dropping their first matchup of Season 88 to UST, the Blue Eagles’ 4-1 start to the season has been no small feat, backed by a tenacious defense and a steadily improving offensive rhythm.

As mentioned in last week’s takeaways, one point of improvement for the team was shooting the ball from the perimeter, because inside scoring chances made their offense too predictable, especially against stronger sides.

Since then, the Blue Eagles have drastically increased their attempts from distance. In their first two matchups, the team only took a total of 34 shots from the three-point line in both games combined. Compare that to their last three matchups, wherein they attempted 28 against DLSU, 32 against UP, and 23 against UST.

This increased volume of three pointers signifies not only a committed effort to diversifying their offense, but also growing confidence from the team to shoot and look for these opportunities behind the line.

However, these shot attempts have not quite translated into a reliable source of offense for Ateneo, as the team has struggled to convert these chances on a consistent basis, shooting only 25.3% from beyond the arc.

Nonetheless, this change and adjustment in offense is a promising sign for the Blue Eagles’ offense. With the season still young and more games to play, Ateneo has plenty of time to find rhythm, and the only way to achieve that is to continue letting it rip from downtown.

In addition to the Blue Eagles’ concerted effort to shoot the three ball, the team has also seen a rise in bench points, a sign of growing offensive depth and the ability to rely on players outside of the starters.

Against UE and Adamson in their opening games, the bench unit only provided 40 points total across two outings. Over their next few matchups, these numbers surged, with the Blue Eagles producing 88 total points from substitutions across their three matchups last week, outscoring all opponents in total bench points.

Leading the way for this bench unit was standout rookie De Luna and veteran guard Kate Cancio, who have both provided steady minutes and production coming off the bench. In just three games, the rookie star tallied a total of 31 points, 16 rebounds, and four steals, providing energy on offense and unrelenting pressure on defense. Cancio, on the other hand, has put in 23 points over the last three outings, together with five steals and two blocks, showcasing her ability on both ends and her veteran experience on the court.

Together, their contributions, along with the entire bench unit, have strengthened Ateneo’s rotation and flexibility, giving the team a more unpredictable attack that can lean on multiple players in dire moments.

Now sitting at 4-1, the Blue and White know that winning it all does not come without its fair share of challenges. Despite these setbacks, if the team can continue to sustain their diversified attack, make more shots consistently, and build upon their already deep bench unit, then the Blue Eagles still have what it takes to leave their mark and soar high this season.

This week’s games

Saturday, October 18, at 12:00 PM, vs. National University Lady Bulldogs at the Smart Araneta Coliseum 

Wednesday, October 22, at 8:00 AM, vs. Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws at the Smart Araneta Coliseum