Eagles back in the sky

After losing its last two games to teams they would have easily beaten, Ateneo bounced back yesterday by beating upset-conscious Adamson, 79-73, in the 65th UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Makati Coliseum.

The Eagles, whose title bid was in doubt following back-to-back losses to the UP Maroons (49-53) and the UE Warriors (73-76), needed a fourth-quarter explosion from Enrico Villanueva to get back on track.

The bulky Ateneo slotman hit 10 of his game-high 25 points in the final quarter and drew needed support from small men Jeck Chia and LA Tenorio as the Eagles, who won their first three games of the season, joined the Warriors at 4-2 behind La Salle’s 5-0.

Santo Tomas created a three-way tie for second when it escaped with an 85-84 win over National University in the second seniors match. The Bulldogs remained in the doghouse with a 0-5 record.

The victory over Adamson, now carrying a 2-3 slate after going 0-for-35 over the last three seasons, enabled the Eagles to boost their egos as they head toward an explosive encounter with unbeaten defending champion La Salle this Saturday.

"This is an important victory for us because it did not only snap our two-game skid, but it also helped us regain the confidence as we brace for our next match versus La Salle," said Ateneo coach Joel Banal.

The Eagles were trailing, 48-53, when Wesley Gonzalez completed a three-point play off Jojo Hate, igniting an 8-0 run that gave Ateneo a 56-53 lead. But the Falcons managed to hang on and level the count at 56 entering the final period.

It was when Villanueva and Chia stepped up, combining for 16 points in an 18-8 Ateneo blitz for a 10-point lead with four minutes left. However, the Falcons just wouldn’t go away, once again threatening at 71-74.

Adamson even had the chance to tie the game in the dying seconds, but Patrick Tiongco missed a wild triple, leading to Tenorio’s own trey and a Villanueva semi-hook that finally settled the issue.