Ateneo snaps 3-game skid, eliminates lowly UST from Final Four

MANILA, Philippines – The Ateneo Blue Eagles finally notched their first win of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball second round, surviving a second-half rally to eliminate the UST Growling Tigers from contention, 67-59, at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, November 8.

Kai Ballungay led the bounce-back effort after a decade-worst three-game skid with a big 15-point, 14-rebound double-double as Ateneo rose to fifth place with a 5-6 record.

Seldom-used Cebuano forward Raffy Celis, who prior to this game averaged less than a minute a game, made the most of his 16-minute leash with 8 points, 11 rebounds – 9 coming from the offensive end – and 3 assists.

Rallying all the way back from an 18-point deficit in the second quarter, 16-34, UST made it a competitive affair amid Ateneo’s slump in the third, inching within 4, 43-47, off a Kenji Duremdes putback at the 1:57 mark to cap a 14-4 run.

The defending champions, however, quickly recalibrated their approach in winning time, as they restored order with a 10-0 response bridging the latter two quarters and mounted a 14-point lead, 57-43, from a Chris Koon layup with 7:59 to play.

UST made one last 10-2 run to salvage its dwindling playoff hopes and get within 6, 53-59, but Ateneo again pulled away in the clutch, effectively sealing the deal at the 1:01 mark off one last Koon layup for the 66-56 separation.

“We’re happy to end that losing streak, that’s for sure. I was really pleased today with our defense, we did a good job on Nic (Cabañero). He’s just a handful to try and defend,” said Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin.

“The other end of the ball, we just didn’t shoot the ball well. I thought we generated a lot of good shots. The more we missed, the more UST was determined to stick to the zone and the saving grace was really our offensive rebounding.”

League-leading scorer Cabañero flirted with a triple-double in another losing cause, tallying 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists as UST fell to a 1-10 slate, still alone at the cellar.

Migs Pangilinan added 13 points and 5 boards, while Cabañero’s running mate Christian Manaytay bottomed out with just 2 points and 7 turnovers in 28 minutes, albeit with 10 boards and 2 blocks.

The Scores

Ateneo 67 – Ballungay 15, Koon 12, Brown 10, Amos 8, Celis 8, Obasa 7, Nieto 3, Quitevis 2, Chiu 2, Credo 0, Lazaro 0, Espinosa 0, Gomez 0.

UST 59 – Cabañero 16, Pangilinan 13, Duremdes 9, Manalang 6, Magdangal 5, Laure 4, Llemit 3, Manaytay 2, Calum 1, Crisostomo 0, Moore 0, Gesalem 0, Lazarte 0.

Quarters: 22-12, 43-29, 50-43, 67-59.

– Rappler.com