Eagles ignore cramps, injuries, silence Bulldogs

Defending champion Ateneo was held to seven points in the final quarter but had enough steam left to beat stubborn National University, 63-57, yesterday for its second straight win in the 66th UAAP season at the Blue Eagle Gym along Katipunan.

The Blue Eagles lost their first two games this season at the Araneta Coliseum, against UE and FEU, before bouncing back with a big win over Santo Tomas in their homecourt last week. The win over NU put Ateneo back on its feet at 2-2.

Later on, Santo Tomas leaned on Derrick Hubalde’s heroics to pull off a 51-45 upset of previously unbeaten Far Eastern University, a victory that left La Salle as the only unbeaten team so far at 3-0.

After scoring only a point in the first three quarters, Hubalde came alive in the fourth with seven of his eight points, including a daring drive and two crucial free throws in the dying seconds. The Tigers moved up to 2-2 and the Tamaraws down at 3-1.

With their starters falling to cramps and saddled with fouls, the Blue Eagles had to rely on 6-foot-6 sophomore Doug Kramer who scored four of his team’s seven points in the final period.

The humidity inside the venue made the players more susceptible to cramps, among them Ateneo’s LA Tenorio, Christian del Rosario and Magnum Membrere. Wesley Gonzales also finished the game on the bench due to a hand injury.

But the Bulldogs still failed to pounce on this as they missed crucial shots down the stretch and absorbed their third loss in four games.

Making it a double celebration for Ateneo was its juniors squad which posted an unbelievable 83-point win over NU. The Blue Eaglets won the game, 108-25.