UAAP: Ateneo Blue Eagles fly high, rout FEU Tamaraws

(Updated 4:05pm) The Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles finally flashed their old championship form with a dominant 92-73 win over the league-leading Far Eastern University Tamaraws, Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, in the second round of UAAP Season 76.

FEU's sole lead came at the start of the game, when Anthony Hargrove drew first blood at 2-0. After that, it was all Ateneo, as they ran out to a 14-4 start and never looked back.

[Review the play-by-play of this game here]

Ateneo improved to 6-4, tying the DLSU Green Archers in the standings, over the idle 5-4 UE Red Warriors, while the 8-3 FEU saw their lead over the 7-3 NU Bulldogs shrink.

Juami Tiongson exploded for a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting to lead the Blue Eagles. Kiefer Ravena added 18 points, tying his season-high, and also chipped in nine rebound and five assists. Chris Newsome produced a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds

Ryan Buenafe struggled from the three-point range as he blanked on six attempts. However, he still managed to tally nine points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

“The significance of this game is that now we’re in the top four. We’re tied with La Salle. I told the guys at halftime that it’s not about the lead. It’s the necessity to win,” said Ateneo head coach Bo Perasol. “The guys responded well and I hope we can carry the momentum against a very tough La Salle team this Sunday.”

After winning the opening tip, Anthony Hargrove slipped inside the Ateneo defense to score the game's first two points. The Eagles then went on a 6-0 run off a Kiefer Ravena triple and a Frank Golla three-point play.

Ateneo had an early 10-4 lead at the 8:18 mark of the first quarter to force a Nash Racela timeout.

An and-one play from Chris Newsome off an alley-oop pass from Kiefer Ravena gave Ateneo their first double-digit lead of the game at 17-6. The Eagles continued to play good defense, forcing the Tamaraws to take long-range attempts that failed to connect.

A Roger Pogoy basket finally ended the FEU drought, putting the score at 20-8 with 2:52 left in the opening quarter.

Ateneo built a 26-8 lead before Terrence Romeo scored his first basket of the game, a triple, followed by a floater to cut the lead down to 13 points at 26-13 at the end of the first.

The Blue Eagles opened the second quarter with an 8-2 run anchored on their bench players. The Eagles led 34-15 forcing Racela to reinsert Romeo back into the game after a very short rest.

Von Pessumal added a triple to build a 37-16 at the 6:24 mark of the second period, but RR Garcia replied with his own triple to bring their deficit back down to 18 points.

Juami Tiongson heated up from the field as he scored eight straight points to give Ateneo a 45-23 lead with less than four minutes remaining in the first half.

Frank Golla ended the second quarter with a put-back off a Ravena miss to give Ateneo a 51-28 advantage at the break.


Triples from Roger Pogoy and Garcia sliced the Ateneo lead down to 19 points early in the third. However Pogoy fouled Buenafe as he was taking a three at the 7:18 mark of the third, and the former Rookie of the Year made two free throws to re-establish a 21-point lead for Ateneo at 57-36.

After two free throws from Ravena, Tiongson continued to pour it on with two back-to-back triples, to establish a 29-point lead, 65-36, halfway through the penultimate canto.

Another big Ateneo run gave them their largest lead of the game, 33-points, 71-38, but a triple from Archie Iñigo and a layup by Garcia ended the third quarter on a positive note for the Tamaraws, though they were still down by 28 points at 73-45, heading into the payoff period.

Ateneo committed consecutive turnovers early in the fourth to allow the Tamaraws to inch closer. A fast break layup from Joel Lee Yu brought the lead down to 22 points at 79-57.

However, and-one plays from Golla and Newsome brought the Ateneo lead back up to 25-points at 84-59, to seal the win for the Eagles.

“There was one thing we needed to do...to make the top four and that is to play very good defense and it is anchored on one-on-one defense,” said Perasol. “If I ask the bigs to help, mahihirapan kami sa rebounds.”
 
The plan worked for the Eagles as they outrebounded the Tamaraws 58-42. Their defense also limited the Tamaraws to a below-par 34.6 percent shooting clip from the field in the game.

"First I want to give credit where credit is due,” said Tiongson in the post-game press conference. “If you guys don’t know, Coach Bo is coaching after a minor surgery. He could choose not to be here with us but he’s here.”
 
“Ang sweet mo naman,” Perasol said to his starting point guard. “I had kidney stones removed,” he then explained. “After the surgery I had to leave them. We have to do whatever it takes and I do believe that we can if we really believe that we can.
 
“Ang problema nagdadalawang isip kami because of the losses but the championship experience is coming in now,” closed Perasol as he looks forward to a game against rivals DLSU Green Archers on Sunday.

Terrence Romeo, who carried FEU in their double-overtime game last Sunday versus UE, managed just 19 points on 7-of-24 field goal shooting. He also logged five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

RR Garcia, who was suspended for that UE match, started in Romeo's place, scored only 11 markers with two boards and two dimes. - AMD, GMA News



The scores:
 
ADMU 92: Tiongson 20, Ravena 18, Newsome 11, Tolentino 9, Golla 9, Buenafe 9, Pessumal 5, Elorde 5, Capacio 4, Erram 2, Murphy 0, Asuncion 0, Asistio 0
 
FEU 73: Romeo 19, Garcia 11, Tolomia 9, Pogoy 9, Hargrove 6, Belo 6, Jose 5, Inigo 3, Cruz 3, Lee Yu 2, Sentcheu 0, Mendoza 0, Luz 0, Dennison 0, Delfinado 0, Aguilon 0

Quarter scores: 26-11, 51-28, 73-45, 92-73