Eagles keep rolling
Games Today (The Arena, San Juan City) 12 noon – UST vs FEU 4 p.m. – La Salle vs UP
Even at its full strength, Adamson still proved no match to Ateneo last night. Working behind a sustained defensive pressure, the Blue Eagles stopped the Soaring Falcons dead on their tracks 71-59 and stretched their unbeaten run to eight games in the UAAP Season 80 basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Top wingman Thirdy Ravena had a near double-double of 15 points and nine rebounds while four other teammates tallied at least seven points each as Ateneo completed a season sweep of Adamson following its 85-65 victory in the season opener.
Defense, as suffocating as it has been all season long, spelled the big difference for Ateneo, which snapped Adamson’s four-game winning streak in the process.
“We wanted to make sure our defense won’t let us down and lead to opportunities on the break,” said Blue Eagles assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga, satisfied with how their wards put the clamps down on the Soaring Falcons who missed all but one of their 18 attempts from the three-point area.
“We also focused on our perimeter defense. I would like to commend our guards for defending their guards.”
Cameroonian big man Papi Sarr, sidelined by an injured groin the last time out, collected 15 points and nine rebounds but hardly made his presence felt for Adamson when Ateneo turned up the heat in the third canto and pulled away.
Former Blue Eagle Jerie Pingoy had nine points to lead all local scorers for the Soaring Falcons, who slipped to a 5-3 mark, still good for third overall.
Earlier, University of the East (UE) turned the tables on struggling National University (NU) Bulldogs 90-77 for its second straight victory.
Veteran Mark Olayon did a little bit of everything with 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds while backups Wil Bartolome and Nick Abanto teamed up for 27 points and 16 rebounds to help UE avenge an 86-69 defeat to NU during the opening day.
More importantly, the Red Warriors improved their mark to 2-6 and boosted their credential as a possible Final Four gatecrasher much to the delight of longtime mentor Derrick Pumaren.
“I think we thought about it the whole week that if we wanna make a run, we have to start the second round on a winning note,” he said. “It will be tighter and tighter and there’s no third round.”
The Red Warriors might not need to have another round of eliminations if they could only sustain their rejuvenated form following a morale-boosting 96-91 win over the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers exactly a week ago.
First Game
UE 90 – Olayon 17, Bartolome 14, Maloles 13, Abanto 13, Pasaol 11, Manalang 7, Cullar 6, Derige 3, Varilla 2, Acuno 2, Conner 2.
– Gaye 20, Alejandro 16, Bartlett 8, Salem 7, Mosqueda 7, Yu 5, Joson 4, Lastimosa 4, Morido 3, Aquino 3, Diputado 0, Rangel 0, Tibayan 0, Abatayo 0, Cauilan 0.
Quarters: 21-15; 45-36; 62-59; 90-77.
Second Game
– Ravena 15, Tolentino 8, Go 8, Ikeh 7, Black 7, Nieto Mi 6, Asistio 4, Verano 3, Tio 3, Mendoza 3, Andrade 3, Nieto Ma 2, Porter 2, Mamuyac 0, Malillin 0, White 0.
– Sarr 15, Pingoy 9, Ahanmisi 6, Hill 6, Espeleta 5, Mustre 5, Manganti 4, Camacho 2, Lojera 2, Ochea 2, Zaldivar 2, Manalang 1, Bernardo 0, Chua 0, Paranada 0.
Quarters: 16-10; 31-24; 54-41; 71-59.