ATENEO de Manila got a good workout in time for its highly anticipated match against archrival De La Salle on Sunday, whipping skidding University of the Philippines (UP), 56-43, on Wednesday in Season 78 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball action at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Blue Eagles dominated the game from the get go and unlike in their previous game outing University of Santo Tomas (UST), Ateneo finished the game strong to move up the standings with a 4-2 win-loss record.
It was the fourth straight defeat after starting the season with back-to-back wins for the Fighting Maroons.
“We talked about how to close out a game. We may be starting well but it’s really a matter of how you close out the game,” said Blue Eagles Head Coach Bo Perasol, referring to their fourth-quarter meltdown to the Growling Tigers that resulted to a 58-68 loss.
“Unlike in our last game, we only allowed UP to just 11 points. Against UST, they scored 26,” he added.
Kiefer Ravena led Ateneo’s balanced scoring, with 11 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds. Another veteran, Von Pessumal, also netted 11 markers.
“What’s important is we got the win. We just want to do whatever we can to help the team win,” said Ravena, who is playing his final year with the Loyola-based squad.
The bench also made a difference for Ateneo, with John Apacible and Arvin Tolentino scoring eight points each.
“We really challenged them [second unit] on how they can produce for the team—not just scoring,” Perasol said.
Chibueze Ikeh scored only one point for Ateneo but the Nigerian center grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, seven off the offensive end.
The Blue Eagles’ defense was also key as they held UP’s main man Jet Manual scoreless. He missed all of his seven field-goal attempts in 18 minutes of acton.
Ravena, the reigning Most Valuable Player, was satisfied on how they handcuffed Manuel.
“He [Manuel] is a very capable scorer,” Ravena said. “We studied how he attacks and told my teammates to focus on him because we don’t want him to get his groove when they make a run.”
Andres Desiderio was the lone Fighting Maroon in double figures with 11 points. UP shot horribly from the three-point zone, converting only one of its 22 attempts.
Image credits: Alysa Salen