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.

WITH THE Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team entering its final stretches of the season, the Blue Eagles look to solidify their Final Four case while keeping a firm grip on their third seed standing. As pressure has risen across the league in the race to the Final Four, some Blue Eagles have stepped up to push Ateneo into a perennial contender in Season 88.

Coming out of the midseason break, the Blue and White suffered defeat in a slugfest against the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, 47-69, which marked a season sweep at the hands of the reigning champions. In a contest where Ateneo was missing Mythical Five player Sarah Makanjuola, the heroic efforts of Kate Cancio and Camille Malagar were insufficient to lift the squad past a second-half barrage from NU.

The Blue Eagles then found their stride in a crucial matchup with the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws, 82-70, that further strengthened Ateneo’s hold on the third spot. Avoiding collapse in the second half, the Blue and White maintained control with Kacey Dela Rosa’s dominating double-double that sealed the win.

Determined to end their week on a hot streak, Ateneo dominated the game against the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors, 81-57, in a wire-to-wire victory. Blue Eagle rookie Hannah Lopez exploded for 18 points on four triples, powering a more diverse Blue and White offense in the past couple of games.

As the two titans of the league, the NU Lady Bulldogs and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigresses have already secured their Final Four tickets, the Blue Eagles aim to buy theirs as soon as possible. Hoping to catch fire at the right moment, the Blue and White will have to ride the coattails of some of their hot streaks this latest stretch.

All hands on deck

Ani: With a respectable 7-3 win-loss record and a definitive third-place seeding, the Blue Eagles enter the final push with high expectations to continue this strong form. Leading the charge for the team, Dela Rosa has continued to dominate opponents with stellar performances on both ends of the court.

In her first three games after the midseason break, Dela Rosa averaged 19.3 points and a staggering 15 rebounds per game. Adding on to this offensive barrage, the UAAP stalwart has also tallied a total of three steals and five blocks since the break, highlighting her determination on the defensive end as well.

One of her most dominant outings throughout this stretch occurred in the Blue and White’s second matchup against FEU, where Dela Rosa put up an astronomical stat line of 21 points and 23 rebounds, leading the team to a dominant series sweep. Whether scoring in the paint or crashing the boards inside, the Most Valuable Player candidate has left no doubts about her impact and value to this unit.

Despite Dela Rosa’s individual brilliance, the entire squad has also continued to step up, pushing the team towards greater heights and increased versatility on the court. In particular, Malagar and Lopez put on strong individual outputs, providing much-needed firepower for the Blue Eagles.

Against FEU, Malagar showed out with a well-rounded stat line, scoring 14 points while tallying five assists, four rebounds, three steals, and a block. Lopez, on the other hand, caught fire against UE, knocking down four three pointers en route to an 18-point outburst coming off the bench. 

Looking back to the Blue Eagles’ first three games, the team ranked dead last in average bench points. Since then, the squad has ramped up the bench production, moving up to sixth in the statistical category. However, it is still clear that the starters are heavily relied on as Ateneo currently averages the most starter points in the entire league.

As the season progresses, it becomes increasingly evident that every Blue Eagle must be ready to step up when their number is called so Ateneo can knock down UAAP’s leading teams. However, only time will tell if the Blue and White can piece it all together to create history and leave their mark this season.

Late game lapses

Diego: As the famous saying goes, it is a marathon, not a sprint. Such a mindset is something that the Blue Eagles need to adopt, given their struggle to maintain consistent energy across all four quarters of the game.

Peering into the stat sheet, the Katipunan-based squad was outscored by its opponents in the final period on four out of Ateneo’s last five outings. Performances like these signal that the strong energy established at the onset of the game fades away when it matters most.

Inconsistencies were evident even when Ateneo ended on top. Taking on FEU in their first-round finale, the Blue Eagles nearly squandered their double-digit advantage as the Lady Tamaraws attempted to come back late in the game. Despite a hefty lead of 12 at the end of the third canto, a sequence of errors from Ateneo allowed FEU to trim the lead down to four. While the absence of Makanjuola explains the Blue Eagles’ brief stumble, moments like this should call for other members of the roster to step up and deliver. 

Right after their showdown against FEU, Ateneo’s struggles with unforced turnovers, erratic shooting, and lackluster defense were amplified in their second-half collapse against NU. These combined issues culminated in a stunning outcome, which saw the Blue and White scoring just 15 points in the last two quarters of play, while the Bulldogs doubled their output at 33. 

Three days later, Ateneo would have the chance to right the wrongs as they once again took on FEU for their second-round showdown. However, the Blue and White’s kryptonite of nearly surrendering late-game leads persisted as a 25-point advantage shrank to just 10 toward the end of the final frame. Had it not been for Dela Rosa’s basket to seal victory, the game was very much all to play for.

Although it is who leads at the end of four quarters that matters the most, it is equally important for the team to have continuous energy and remain calm under pressure until the final buzzer.

Hence, if the Blue Eagles want to break through beyond just playing second fiddle to the Lady Tigresses and Lady Bulldogs, being a force to be reckoned with from start to finish is a great starting point.

Playing with fire

AJ: In Season 88, the Blue and White’s scheme has often been similar to a Buzz-like zone defense, where the pressure comes from players jumping the passing lanes and forcing their opponents into lazy touches. In games against the likes of FEU and UE, their strategy often pans out into creating a high number of points from turnovers. However, against organized offenses like NU and UST, their scheme has often fizzled out and translated into surrendering crucial runs.

Utilizing the press themselves, the Blue and White has found trouble arranging their positioning, leading to situations where Dela Rosa or Makanjuola are left fending for themselves underneath the basket. Late rotations have also led Ateneo to defend a 4-on-5 possession, which has produced plenty of second-chance opportunities for their opponents.

Notably, Ateneo has preferred to use the Buzz defense instead of the traditional zone coverages, which rely heavily on the inside being protected at all times. With the Blue Eagles leaning on the likes of their twin-tower duo for offensive power, the zone has been seen scarcely in the past few weeks.

On the contrary, Ateneo has struggled to answer back when their defensive philosophy is flipped on them. In order to bolster their chances of winning, they must learn how to battle against effective defensive strategies—the zone and press defenses. 

In terms of the zone and press defenses, the Blue Eagles have faced plenty of difficulties in dealing with such grueling systems. Ranging as far back as the first round, Ateneo still faces the same problem of being trapped in the coffin corners that led them to record some of their highest turnover rates. Oftentimes, the ball fails to cross half-court, leading to missed opportunities for the Blue Eagles to score.

Heading into the final stretch of the season, now is the perfect time to refine their defensive options in this Final Four run. With heavy hitters like UST and the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons coming up, the Blue and White will be able to fine-tune their strategies and schemes into the final stretch of games. 

Staring into another tough sprint towards the end, the Blue Eagles have one last chance to prove that, when this squad is clicking, they are nearly unstoppable.

This week’s games

Saturday, November 15, at 7:00 PM, vs. UST Growling Tigresses at the Smart Araneta Coliseum

Wednesday, November 19, at 7:00 PM, vs. UP Fighting Maroons at the SM Mall of Asia Arena