MANILA, Philippines – Ateneo reached the Final Four for the ninth straight time after thrashing Adamson, 70-48, in their playoff for the last semifinal berth in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, November 22.

Jared Brown came out with guns blazing from the get-go and finished with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists as the Blue Eagles set up a Final Four clash with rivals UP Fighting Maroons.

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Fourth quarter

• ATENEO 70-48: Jerom Lastimosa triple at the buzzer
• ATENEO 70-45: Ian Espinosa for three
• ATENEO 67-45: Didat Hanapi dials up from deep
• ATENEO 67-42: Kai Balunggay putback is good
• ATENEO 65-42: Sean Quitevis answers with his own three-pointer
• ATENEO 62-42: Matt Erolon for three
• ATENEO 62-39: Joseph Obasa puts it back
• ATENEO 60-39: Sean Quitevis with the floater
• ATENEO 58-39: Kai Balunggay lays it in

Third quarter

• END OF 3Q: Ateneo sits on a comfortable 56-39 cushion against Adamson
• ATENEO 56-39: Jared Brown douses cold water on the Falcons’ run
• ATENEO 54-39: Didat Hanapi scores for a 6-0 Adamson blitz
• ATENEO 54-37: Mario Barasi inside
• ATENEO 54-35: Joem Sabandal 2/2 at the line
• ATENEO 54-33: Josh Lazaro midrange jumper
• ATENEO 52-33: Mason Amos sinks his free throws
• ATENEO 50-33: Jared Brown throws it up and scores
• ATENEO 48-33: Joseph Obasa splits his charity shots
• ATENEO 47-33: Mathew Montebon cans his foul shots
• ATENEO 47-31: Andrew Bongo inside
• ATENEO 45-31: Vince Magbuhos corner trey
• ATENEO 45-28: Mathew Montebon drains the turnaround jumper
• ATENEO 45-26: Sean Quitevis buries the trey
• ATENEO 42-26: Jared Brown from midrange

First half performers

• Jared Brown (ADMU) – 14 points, 4-of-5 on three-pointers, 3 assists, 2 rebounds
• Mason Amos (ADMU) – 8 points, 2 rebounds
• Matt Erolon (AdU) – 6 points, 2 rebounds
• Jhon Arthur Calisay (AdU) – 5 points
• Ced Manzano (AdU) – 4 points, 4 rebounds

Second quarter

• HALFTIME: Ateneo in cruise control as it leads 40-26 against Adamson
• ATENEO 40-26: Jared Brown retaliates
• ATENEO 38-26: Joem Sabandal hits the midrange jumper
• ATENEO 38-24: Chris Koon 1/2 at the stripe
• ATENEO 37-24: Joseph Obasa splits his freebies
• ATENEO 36-24: Jared Brown with another long bomb
• ATENEO 33-24: Mason Amos power move inside
• ATENEO 31-24: Lebron Nieto 1/2 at the line
• ATENEO 30-24: Matt Erolon joins the three-point party
• ATENEO 30-21: Mason Amos answers with his own trey
• ATENEO 27-21: Jhon Arthur Calisay corner triple is good
• ATENEO 27-18: Ced Manzano scores over Joseph Obasa
• ATENEO 27-16: Jason Credo opens the second quarter with a triple

First quarter

• END OF 1Q: Ateneo with a 24-16 lead over Adamson as Jared Brown pours 9 points
• ATENEO 24-16: Jared Brown from way out
• ATENEO 21-16: Kai Balunggay splits his freebies
• ATENEO 20-16: Didat Hanapi drains the foul shot
• ATENEO 20-15: Didat Hanapi from the right wing
• ATENEO 20-13: Chris Koon scores
• ATENEO 18-13: Matt Erolon sinks the trey
• ATENEO 18-10: Mason Amos for three
• ATENEO 15-10: Ced Manzano putback is good
• ATENEO 15-8: Lebron Nieto joins the Blue Eagles’ scoring
• ATENEO 13-8: Eli Ramos gets the short stab to go
• ATENEO 13-6: Andrew Bongo with the easy deuce
• ATENEO 11-6: Jhon Arthur Calisay converts the reverse layup
• ATENEO 11-4: Sean Quitevis knocks down the long bomb
• ATENEO 8-4: Joshua Yerro again
• ATENEO 8-2: Joshua Yerro puts Adamson on the scoreboard
• ATENEO 8-0: Jared Brown with another trey
• ATENEO 5-0: Kai Balunggay knocks down his foul shots
• ATENEO 3-0: Jared Brown for three

Starters

• ATENEO: Jared Brown, Sean Quitevis, Mason Amos, Kai Balunggay, Andrew Bongo
• ADAMSON: Joshua Yerro, Jhon Arthur Calisay, Jed Colonia, Mario Barasi, Vince Magbuhos

Preview

On the losing end of a thrilling Ateneo-La Salle second round slugfest, the Blue Eagles fell to a 7-7 record to wrap up the elimination round, while the Soaring Falcons escaped UE with a dazzling Monty Montebon game-winning three to also finish with the same slate and force the fourth-seed playoff.

This marks the second straight season where Adamson is facing an opportunity to secure Final Four entry through a playoff match. In Season 85, the Soaring Falcons edged the La Salle Green Archers for the last Final Four spot, but subsequently lost to the then-top seed Blue Eagles.

Ateneo, meanwhile, is now in danger of seeing its worst finish since Season 76 a decade ago, when the Blue Eagles only finished fifth.

With their respective seasons all coming down to one do-or-die clash, the Eagles will hope for great outings from their veteran duo of Kai Ballungay and Chris Koon, while first-year players Joe Obasa, Jared Brown, and Mason Amos will also try to get their offense going early.

Meanwhile, the Falcons are also leaning on a balanced showing, with the likes of Montebon, Ced Manzano, and Vince Magbuhos picking up the slack in a possible dethroning bid.

Even the sidelines are expected to get heated with a clash of great, championship-level coaching minds, as it was Ateneo’s Tab Baldwin who implied that the complaints of Adamson’s Nash Racela on game officiating were “shameful.”

As if straight out of a movie, the Falcons now get a shot to personally deliver the killing blow to their Blue Eagle tormentors. Ateneo, however, still has a champion’s heart – season records notwithstanding.

Both stories are compelling, but one must – and will – end soon. – Rappler.com