UP sweeps Ateneo in the elimination round, improves to 9-1

With a 28-point domination, University of the Philippines conquered the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the battle of Katipunan, further cementing their bid for a twice-to-beat advantage in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament, October 30, Wednesday, in the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

With this victory, the UP Fighting Maroons grabbed their third consecutive win, solidifying their solo second spot with a 9-1 record, giving themselves a three-game cushion over the UE Red Warriors, 6-4.

UP has swept the Blue Eagles in the elimination round, extending their winning streak over them to four games, dating back to season 86, dealing the latter their worst beatdown in the Tab Baldwin era.

Ateneo’s Final Four hopes are starting to dim, as they fell to seventh place with a 3-8 record.

It was the Ateneo Blue Eagles who first took the lead, but UP quickly answered back, with Harold Alarcon sparking a strong rally capped with a Francis Lopez basket to end the frame, 17-15.

From a slim two-point lead, the UP Fighting Maroons gave Ateneo a run for their money in the second quarter, with a 20-6 run, topped by a layup from Jacob Bayla and a long two-pointer from Gerry Abadiano, giving themselves a comfortable 37-21 cushion, and later ending the period at 39-28.

Come the third frame, the Fighting Maroons continued to ride the momentum, delivering 15 unanswered points, triggered by a three by Lopez to extend the lead further, 54-28.

Within the last two minutes of the game, UP’s lead swelled to a huge 30-point margin from a Jacob Bayla layup.

A big contributing factor to their victory was State-U’s defense, which was spirited right from the get go, even when Ateneo’s shots were looking good. They managed to limit the Blue Eagles’ to a 26.9% field goal percentage, and forced 17 turnovers, which led to 16 points for the Maroons.

Another difference maker in this game was the rebounds, with UP grabbing 51 versus Ateneo’s 42, which led to 19 second-chance points compared to the Blue Eagles’ 10.

With an impressive outing, Lopez was named Player of the Game, contributing 20 points with a 77.8% field goal percentage, and five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and a block.

Quentin Millora-Brown led the team in rebounds, grabbing another double-double in this season, with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and one steal, while Reyland Torres had an all around performance, tallying seven points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal.

Gani Stevens also chipped in, showing his consistency with seven points on 3-of-3 shooting, and three rebounds, while Bayla contributed eight points, six rebounds, one steal, and one block.

None from Ateneo’s side reached double digits, but Chris Koon came close, leading the team in scoring with nine points, one rebound, and a steal, but committed five of the team’s 17 turnovers. Kristian Porter was their top rebounder, with four points, 10 rebounds, and one steal, with Andrew Bongo contributing seven points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Shawn Tuano with eight points, one rebound, one assist and one steal. Jared Bahay had an off game, but contributed six points, 3 rebounds, five assists, and a steal.

Next up, the UP Fighting Maroons (9-1) will continue their hunt for a twice-to-beat incentive, and aim to further improve their record when they go against the struggling NU Bulldogs (2-8) this Sunday, November 3, 3:30PM, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Meanwhile, the Ateneo Blue Eagles (3-8) look to bounce back in the continuous fight for a Final Four appearance, when they battle the FEU Tamaraws (3-7) in the crucial match on Saturday, November 9, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

The Scores:

UP (75) – Lopez 20, Millora-Brown 11, Bayla 7, Torres 7, Stevens 7, Abadiano 6, Belmonte 5, Fortea 5, Alarcon 4, Cagulangan 2, Felicilda 0, Ududo 0, Briones 0, Torculas 0, Alter 0, Walker 0.

Ateneo (47) – Koon 9, Tuano 8, Bongo 7, Bahay 6, Porter 4, Balogun 4, Espina 3, Espinosa 2, Lazaro 2, Dela Cruz 2, Asoro 0, Quitevis 0, Reyes 0, Gamber 0, Edu 0.

Quarterscores: 17-15, 39-28, 66-40, 75-47