Eagles spring back from UP stunner, soar to UAAP finals
Game Friday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
6 p.m. – UP vs La Salle
MANILA, Philippines – Three-time reigning champion Ateneo booked a quick flight to the finals, after all.
Barely missing out on an outright berth last time out, the top-seeded Blue Eagles were not to be denied in another attempt as they barged their way into the Last Dance with an 85-72 win over fourth-seeded Far Eastern University in the UAAP Season 84 Final Four at the Mall of Asia Arena Wednesday.
Bryan Andrade fired 16 points on an efficient 7-of-9 clip while the trio of SJ Belangel (14), Gian Mamuyac (12) and Dave Ildefonso (11) pumped in solid contributions in the Blue Eagles’ fifth straight trip to the finals.
Ange Kouame, for his part, was a hulking force inside with 18 boards, nine markers and five blocks on top of eight assists as Ateneo bolstered its bid for a fourth straight UAAP crown.
The Blue Eagles will face the winner between No. 2 University of the Philippines and No. 3 La Salle after their winner-take-all match on Friday.
“That (loss) was a thing behind us. We talked a little bit about it but there’s a tremendous amount of positivity before that so we focused on those things. We focused on FEU as the only game that mattered,” said coach Tab Baldwin, whose wards absorbed a heartbreaking 84-83 loss against UP last weekend to miss a potential 14-0 sweep and a free passage to the finals.
“Now, we’re in the playoffs. I think the psychological effect from it was that we came out focused today against FEU,” he added.
The vengeful Blue Eagles, whose 39-win streak also ended against UP, needed only one quarter to warm and vent its ire on FEU by turning a 16-all count after the opening salvo into a sudden 48-33 halftime separation.
There was no looking back for Ateneo as it widened the gap to as many as 22 markers heading home.
Earlier, third-seeded La Salle withstood a late uprising by No. 2 and twice-to-beat-armed University of the Philippines with an 83-80 escape act to force a rubber match in their own semifinal pairing.
Evan Nelle unloaded 26 points on a crisp 8-of-13 accuracy, including five triples, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals while Justine Baltazar ably manned the paint with 15 markers, 18 boards and two blocks to lead La Salle’s onslaught.
Kurt Lojera (11), Michael Phillips (7), Cyrus Austria (7) and Schonny Winston (7) chipped in key contributions for the Green Archers, who needed one last stand to fend off the Fighting Maroons after nearly squandering a massive 22-point lead.
“Well, I think the boys really played hard. They played 40 minutes of solid basketball discipline, which I’ve been asking them to do. It was really a team effort and everybody was on the same page,” said coach Derrick Pumaren as La Salle finally got back on UP after two losses in the eliminations, 61-59 and 72-69.
Maodo Diouf hauled down 18 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks but his frontcourt partner Carl Tamayo struggled for just seven markers in a dismal 2-of-14 clip for UP.
Super rookie RJ Abarrientos paced FEU with 16 points.
The scores:
First Game
LA SALLE 83 – Nelle 26, Baltazar 15, Lojera 11, M. Phillips 7, Austria 7, Winston 7, Nwankwo 4, Nonoy 3, Manuel 3, B. Phillips 0.
UP 80 – Diouf 18, Rivero 18, Lucero 17, Tamayo 8, Abadiano 7, Cagulangan 6, Spencer 3, Alarcon 3, Ramos 0, Fortea 0, Webb 0, Lina 0.
Quarterscores: 24-16, 48-37, 66-55, 83-80.
Second Game
ATENEO 85 – Andrade 16, Belangel 14, Mamuyac 12, Ildefonso 11, Kouame 9, Daves 9, Lazaro 4, Verano 3, Koon 3, Chiu 2, Tio 2, Padrigao 0.
FEU 72 – Abarrientos 16, Ojuola 13, Bienes 13, Gonzales 9, Sleat 6, Alforque 5, Tempra 4, Torres 3, Celzo 2, Sajonia 1, Coquia 0.
Quarterscores: 16-16, 49-33, 65-48, 85-72.
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