Ateneo thumps UP, forces rubber match
By NIKOLE JAVIER
Ateneo fended off University of the Philippines’ late comeback to prevail, 65-55, and force a rubber match in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 85 men's basketball finals Sunday night, Dec. 14, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ange Kouame delivered the goods with a double-double outing of 19 points and 11 boards to breathe life to the Blue Eagles' title hopes after bowing to the Maroons in Game 1, 72-66, last Sunday, Dec. 11, in their best-of-three affair.
Ateneo and UP go for all the marbles in Game 3 on Monday, Dec. 19, at the same venue.
The Blue Eagles had to shrug off a slow start riddled with turnovers and snatched the lead in the second quarter which they protected until the final buzzer before the 20,616 crowd.
Up by 15 early in the fourth period after a Kai Ballungay jumper, 59-44, the Blue Eagles encountered a stiff challenge from the Maroons after Carl Tamayo staged a 10-4 run to trim UP's deficit by nine.
But Ateneo hung tough through key defensive stops that led to another Kouame layup in the last 3:21 to pad the lead, 65-54.
UP struggled to retaliate and went on scoreless in the final minute and a half that sealed its doom.
“Not a lot . We live to fight another day. Both schools and teams, our monikers something about fighting. Everybody saw what sports fighting is about tonight. That’s the kind of game, I guess, we all sort of expect in the finals,” said Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin.
Ballungay contributed 15 points for the Eagles, while Forthsky Padrigao had 11.
Malick Diouf, who was earlier awarded Season Most Valuable Player, was limited to two points for UP as Tamayo finished with 15 points in a losing cause. JD Cagulangan chipped in 11 markers.
The Scores:
ATENEO 65 -- Kouame 19, Ballungay 15, Padrigao 11, Daves 6, Chiu 6, Ildefonso 3, Gomez 2, Lazaro 2, Koon 1, Quitevis 0, Andrade 0.
UP 55 -- Tamayo 15, Cagulangan 11, Fortea 9, Lucero 6, Alarcon 5, Abadiano 4, Diouf 2, Galinato 2, Spencer 1, Gonzales 0, Calimag 0, Lina 0.
Quarters: 20-19, 41-33, 57-44, 65-55.