IN NUMBERS: Ateneo vs Adamson – UAAP Season 81

MANILA, Philippines – While the rest of the UAAP are scraping and clawing for position in the Season 81 Final Four, the top two teams are perched comfortably atop the standings tree.

But now, it’s time once again for some elite-level battle between the Ateneo Blue Eagles (9-2) and Adamson Soaring Falcons (8-2), and this one is all about pride.

SEASON AVERAGES

Ange Kouame has come a long way in such a short time since Ateneo’s stunning opening-day defeat against Adamson. From being a reserved and sometimes clumsy big man, the 6-foot-10 Ivorian has rapidly evolved into a death-staring, poster-jamming, shot-swatting rookie-MVP candidate in just 10 games.

He is now at the undisputed top of the leaderboards with his 14.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks averages, way ahead of more seasoned veteran bigs like Bright Akhuetie, Papi Sarr, and Justine Baltazar.

He’s also just behind Prince Orizu, another seasoned vet, with a second-best 59.8% field goal percentage, proving he’s already a legitimate two-way star.

On the other side, although Papi Sarr’s numbers have dipped – especially in efficiency – due to the takeover of star duo Jerrick Ahanmisi and Sean Manganti, he’s still an invaluable piece in Adamson’s steady rise to title contention. His 11.3 rebounding norm is still third-best in the league and a very far cry from the Falcons’ other seldom-used big men. And although he only has 5 blocks so far in the season, he has altered countless others with his massive frame.

Overall, both teams are masters in terms of making teams pay off turnovers. Adamson currently leads the league in points off TOs with 16.1 a game while Ateneo is right on their tails with 14.8. However, the Falcons will be hard-pressed to scope some swipes off a team that averages the least turnovers in the league at just 14.5 a night.

As a true testament of being the defending champs, the Eagles also top the league in scoring at 78.9 points per game and points allowed at just 63.1 a night. However, the Falcons are not far behind either, coming in at third in both categories.

Ateneo has also achieved a perfect balance in the scoring department, coming in second in both perimeter points (32.7) and points in the paint (34.0). Adamson is still right on their heels, averaging a third-best 30.8 perimeter points per game and a fifth-best 32.4 points in the paint per game.

After their first-round meetup, all numbers indicate that Ateneo is still slightly better than Adamson in just about every area. But that’s the key word: “slightly.”

And for Adamson, there would be no better feeling than to once again slightly edge Ateneo for the season sweep and officially clinch the second Final Four spot. – Rappler.com