Blue Eagles escape Tamaraws to stop slump

Games Sunday 

(Blue Eagle Gym)

8 a.m. - DLSZ vs UE (16U)

10 a.m. - Ateneo vs UE (Women)

12 p.m. - UP vs UST (Women)

2:30 p.m. - UP vs UE (Men)

6 p.m. - UST vs DLSU (Men)

MANILA, Philippines -- Ateneo at home held on to a 75-72 squeaker over Far Eastern University to snap a three-game skid in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. 

Kieffer Alas sank the dagger charities in the last two seconds to rescue the Blue Eagles from a near collapse after leading by as many as 18 points, including 11 inside the last two minutes. 

Alas finished with 21 points, four rebounds and two steals as the Blue Eagles drew inspiration from home fans and improved to 4-4 to rejoin a crowded middle pack of the standings.

The super rookie drew solid coverage from Jared Bahay with 15 points, while reinforcement Sultan Baruwa collared a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double laced by two assists. Ian Espinosa and Travis Roberts chipped in eight points each. 

“This is a very huge win for us because I know were are just one game behind sa mga nasa upper bracket,” said coach Louie Alas, whose wards ended the first round with an 80-68 defeat to University Santo Tomas in Sampaloc, Manila. 

“But this is just (one) win. We need to bounce back against. We need to have a back-to-back win for us to be in contention again. As of now, we're still in the lower bracket of the standings.”

At home this time, Ateneo did albeit via slimmest of margins after a 48-30 lead in the first half that it managed to protect in the last two minutes. 

With what seemed a comfortable 73-62 upperhand off Roberts lay-up in the 1:51 mark, the Blue Eagles surrendered a 10-0 Tamaraws rally capped by a Jorick Bautista triple in the last three seconds. 

Good thing for the hoopers from Katipunan, Alas was steady from the stripe to avenge their one-sided 93-70 loss to the Tamaraws in the first round. 

FEU, once the early league leader at 4-1, absorbed its third consecutive defeat despite the 18 points of Bautista to slide to at 4-4 for a three-way tie with Ateneo and reigning champion La Salle.

Mo Konateh, the leader in the Best Foreign Student-Athlete derby, added a 12-16 double-double, Kirby Mongcopa and Cabs Cabonilas had 11 each, as reigning MVP Janrey Pasaol settled for seven points. 

In women’s basketball, NU (5-2) fended off La Salle (1-6), 75-71, to end the first round in style as FEU (4-3) gained a piece of the coveted No. 4 seed with a 50-48 win over Adamson (4-3) on Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 stalwart Victoria Pasilang’s game-winner. 

The scores:

Ateneo 75 — Alas 21, Bahay 15, Baruwa 13, Espinosa 8, Roberts 8, Tuano 6, Kapihe 2, Rogers 2, Bongo 0, Espina 0.

FEU 72 — Bautista 18, Konateh 12, Mongcopa 11, Cabonillas 11, Pasaol 7, Burgos 7, Daa 4, Nakai 2, Felipe 0, Gish 0, Montemayor 0.

Quarterscores: 21-14, 46-30, 58-50, 75-72.