Eagles soar, force do-or-die

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo spread its wings high and above archrival and reigning champion University of the Philippines, taking flight with a big 65-55 win to force a winner-take-all battle for the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball crown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Licking the wounds of a 72-66 defeat in the opener, the vengeful Blue Eagles took command from the get go and kept the Fighting Maroons at bay to stay on track for a return to the throne.

A bevy of heroes connived to make it happen in the face of UP’s endgame resistance.

Season 84 MVP Ange Kouame led their stand with an all-around performance of 19 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks.Kai Ballungay bounced back from a zero-point outing in Game 1 with 15 markers and five boards while Mythical Team member Forthsky Padrigao added 11 points.

Ateneo’s unforgiving defense limited the Fighting Maroons to their lowest output under mentor Goldwin Monteverde since a 58-66 loss to Adamson in Season 84.

“We lived to fight another day. Everybody saw what sports fight is about tonight. And that’s the kind of game we all expect (to play) in the finals,” said coach Tab Baldwin, whose wards dragged UP to only 31-percent clip from the field including a dismal 6-of-30 shooting from downtown.

Ateneo also struggled from trey, at 3-of-24, but shot the ball better with an overall 39-percent mark while having the upperhand in steals (11-7) and blocks (6-3).

Fresh off his coronation as the Season 85 MVP, Malick Diouf absorbed the biggest impact of Blue Eagles’ defensive clinic as he bled for just two points, although he came through with 11 rebounds.

After a close 20-19 count in the first quarter, the Blue Eagles found their touch and pulled away in the next two quarters, 57-44.

Ateneo looked headed to a convincing victory from there as Kouame’s short heave pushed them ahead at 61-46 only to meet another Fighting Maroons’ uprising.

As UP lost Game 1 hero Zavier Lucero to what appeared to be a knee injury pending an official diagnosis, Carl Tamayo fired consecutive jumpers followed by Terrence Fortea’s triple that pushed the Fighting Maroons to within 54-63 in the last 4:46.

The Maroons even had a chance to move closer but Henry Galinato missed a dunk that pretty much took the fight out of the defending champs as the Eagles capitalized to seal the deal.