SITTING ON the cusp of a Final Four berth, the Ateneo Blue Eagles found contrasting results against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers, 19-12, and the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons, 14-18, to place their record at 3-2.
The two University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) contests took place on April 30, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in the City of Parañaque.
Kacey Dela Rosa led the charge for the Blue Eagles, scoring seven points in their victory over the Lady Archers before following it up with a nine-point outing against the Lady Falcons.
Ateneo vs DLSU
Ateneo found itself on the back foot early with Oani being overwhelmed by back-to-back post moves by Kyla Go, 1-4. The Blue Eagles quickly regrouped, as Oani and Dela Rosa ignited a 5-0 run highlighted by a long-range bomb by Oani to seize control, 6-4.
While DLSU was able to tie the ball game at six-all, Hannah Lopez took matters into her own hands as she delivered a deep two followed by a strong drive to the hoop, 9-6. Lady Archer Kyla Sunga then nailed a two-pointer to trim Ateneo’s lead to one, but Oani’s shot from beyond the arc stretched the Blue and White’s advantage to three, 11-8.
Refusing to let their momentum slip, the Blue Eagles imposed their will down the stretch by unleashing a decisive 6-2 powered by Dela Rosa’s dominance in the paint, 17-11. With time on their side, Ateneo put the game beyond reach as Dela Rosa calmly converted a free throw and knocked down a perimeter shot to seal the victory over DLSU, 19-12.
Ateneo vs AdU
With a chance to take firm hold of the second seed, the Blue Eagles took on the AdU Lady Falcons.
Ateneo’s battle began with defensive lapses, giving up a pair of threes from AdU’s Cheska Apag and Niclen Manlimos, 0-4. Responding on the inside were Dela Rosa and Hannah, who took advantage of their size down low, 2-4. However, the defensive coverage of the Katipunan-based unit continued to falter under Adamson’s speed that extended the deficit, 2-7. With the halfway mark fast approaching, an exchange of baskets from Lauren Lopez and Apag kept the gap large, 3-8.
Despite inside lay-ins from Jamanah Meniano and Elaine Etang, Dela Rosa countered their buckets with two putback markers of her own, 5-10. Following another score from Apag, the Blue Eagles surged to a 3-0 sprint which was capped off by an Oani three, 10-12. Ateneo’s scoring run came to an end after Manlimos key jumper, but Dela Rosa returned the favor with an and-one conversion to cut the lead to one, 12-13.
As the two-minute mark passed, a miscommunication on the Blue Eagles’ end led to an open Meniano triple that dug them into a difficult position, 12-15. The endgame action found Dela Rosa and Etang trading layups that placed Ateneo three points away from tying 13-16. With Adamson allowing Dela Rosa to score in order to waste the game clock, Ateneo were forced to foul Apag for a chance at victory.
The Blue Eagles’ opportunity for victory were promptly dashed by Apag who went perfect from the charity stripe, ending the tough battle, 14-18.
As Ateneo continues their hunt for the Final Four, they will meet the University of the East Lady Warriors today, May 1, at 4:00 PM in the same venue.
Box Scores:
Ateneo vs DLSU
Ateneo (19): Dela Rosa – 7, Oani – 7, H. Lopez – 5, De Luna – 0
DLSU (12): Go – 6, Sunga – 3, Mendoza – 2, Delos Reyes – 1
Ateneo vs AdU
Ateneo (14): Dela Rosa – 9, Oani – 3, L. Lopez – 1, H. Lopez – 1
AdU (18): Apag – 9, Meniano – 4, Manlimos – 3, Etang – 2
Women’s Current Standings (W-L):
- UST Growling Tigresses (5-0)*
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (4-1)
- AdU Lady Falcons (3-2)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (3-2)
- DLSU Lady Archers (2-3)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-4)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (1-4)
- UE Lady Warriors (1-4)
* – clinched Final Four
