Kouame lifts Ateneo to get even vs FEU

It seems like the absence of Thirdy Ravena and twins Mike and Matt Nieto was hardly felt by Ateneo on Saturday.

Thanks to a monster performance from big man Ange Kouame, the Blue Eagles got the upper hand of this round's fight against the Tamaraws, 82-62, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

FEU and Ateneo both scored 20 during the final period, 11 of which were made by Kouame for the Blue Eagles. The Katipunan-based squad continued its dominance during the third quarter, making 28 against Morayta's 20 points.

The blue-and-white team ended the first half with 34-22, after making 18 points against FEU's six during the second quarter. The two teams closed the first period at 16-all.

Kouame registered a career-high 33 points and 27 rebounds. His score, according to UAAP statistician Pong Ducanes, is the biggest score recorded for a foreign player in the league since Kirk Long's 22 points.

The big man dominated the first half, making 18 points of Ateneo's 34, against FEU's combined 22 points.

"We're very happy with the win and Ange's performance. We just have to read the situation and take advantage of the opportunities. FEU was locking down on our shooters and that left Ange open for offensive rebounds and good passes from our guards. Credit goes not only to Ange but also our guards for looking for him and finding him in those situations," Ateneo assistant head coach Sandy Arrespacochaga said.

Asked about his dominating performance, Kouame said, "It's still the same way every game. Sometimes, it can be good, sometimes it can be bad. You have to read the game, so we could find what is good for us."

Kouame’s thoughts on his performance today: It’s still the same way as every game. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/7rlR4tDMeA

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) October 20, 2018

Ateneo's Anton Asistio also gave credit to his teammates who stepped up in today's game.

"I'm just proud of how my teammates played. There was this uncertainty because Thirdy, Matt, and Mike weren't going to play today. I told them yesterday na this is an opportunity for them to step up, to show na they deserve those minutes because those guys don't get much playing time. If you put them in any other team, they could easily start for that team. I'm just proud of how they answered the call." Asistio said.

"[Our practices] were difficult not because Thirdy, Matt and Mike weren't there. It's because our practices were hard. We lost to them in the first round and we had to work even harder to beat them this time." Asistio added.

Thirdy Ravena is serving his suspension after getting an unsportsmanlike foul during their last game against the UP Fighting Maroons. Brothers Matt and Mike Nieto, meanwhile, are out as they are recovering from dengue.

With the win, Ateneo is now tied with Adamson at the top of the standings with seven wins and two losses, while FEU locks with La Salle at 5-4.

Ateneo will play again on Wednesday against UE, while FEU will face DLSU on Saturday.

Scores:

Ateneo (82) - Kouame - 33, Asistio - 15, Tio - 8, Wong - 7, Mamuyac - 6, Verano - 4, Mendoza - 3, Belangel - 2, Go - 2, Andrade - 2, Navarro - 0, Black - 0, Daves - 0.

FEU (62) - Escoto - 13, Cani - 13, Bienes - 8, Parker - 7, Comboy - 6, Nunag - 4, Ebona - 3, Stockton - 2, Tuffin - 2, Orizu - 2, Inigo - 2, Gonzales - 0, Jopia - 0, Ramirez - 0.

— MDM, GMA News