Ateneo forces do-or-die against UP in UAAP Season 84 Finals

It's not yet over for Ateneo de Manila University.

On Wednesday, the Blue Eagles equalized the best-of-three finals series after taking down the University of the Philippines, 69-66, in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 84 Finals at the Mall of Asia Arena.

UP grabbed the lead, 57-56, on a Carl Tamayo triple after trailing for majority of the game, but Ateneo had the answers to UP's attempts, with the game being tied at 61 with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter. Shots from Ange Kouame and SJ Belangel gave Ateneo enough breathing room before Zavier Lucero trimmed the lead to two on the line at the 1:46 mark. 

The push and pull continued for the neighboring schools until free throws from Kouame and a shot from Gian Mamuyac pushed Ateneo's lead to six, 69-63. Ricci Rivero made a last minute attempt to salvage the game, making a shot at 36.2 seconds and a split with two ticks left, but the blue-and-white squad prevailed to take the win.

The Katipunan-based Blue Eagles limited the Fighting Maroons to just 12 points against their 20-point output to end the first half with the lead, 37-28.

Ange Kouame, the Season 84 MVP, registered a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds on top of 8 blocks, an assist, and a steal. Tyler Tio added 14 points while Dave Ildefonso tallied 10 points.

Rookie of the year Carl Tamayo had 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Rivero scored 16 points. Malick Diouf finished with 8 points on top of 13 rebounds.

With the win, the series will have a do-or-die match on Friday and if Ateneo wins, it will be their fourth straight title. Should UP take Friday's game, it will be their third overall title, with the last one dating back to 1986.

—JMB, GMA News