Eagles pull off nail-biter to check skid

MANILA, Philippines — Rookies Kristian Porter and Jared Bahay propelled Ateneo to a three-game skid-ending win at the expense of National University, 70-68, in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum yesterday.

Porter and Bahay made clutch hits then the Eagles watched Jolo Manansala miss a potential game-tying trey as Ateneo escaped through.

“It was enough to get us over the finish line. Very, very satisfying I know for the players that it’s been a tough first half of the season and they’ve stuck together. You got to give them credit for that,” said Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin.

The Blue Eagles not only improved their record to 2-6 that formed a three-way tie for sixth to eighth with the Bulldogs and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws but also got their vengeance against NU, which beat them last Oct. 5, 78-68.

Porter ended up with a double-double performance of 14 points and 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks, a huge bounce back from his zero-point, one-rebound game against NU last week.

In the main game, host UP trounced Santo Tomas, 83-73, to bounce back right away and stay in step with La Salle at 7-1.

Francis Lopez scattered 20 points and added seven rebounds while Terrence Fortea came through in the clutch, knocking in three treys in the fourth to highlight a 16-point outing.