Eagles squeak past gutsy Maroons, notch playoff for semis berth

MANILA, Philippines – Ateneo survived a University of the Philippines side that channeled Gilas Pilipinas’ gutsy giant-killing efforts, barely escaping with a 70-69 win to gain a playoff for a Final Four berth Wednesday in the UAAP Season 77 men’s basketball tourney at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The second-running Blue Eagles waited with bated breath as Maroons ace Mikee Reyes took to the stripe for pressure-packed charities that could either tie it up or put UP ahead with less than a second left.

Reyes missed the front end. The referees reviewed the video to determine if Reyes was fouled by Chris Newsome while firing a trey and to see if the clock had to be reset. They decided it would just be two freebies and that the time should be 0.8 instead of 0.2 seconds.

Reyes flubbed the second and UP failed to secure the board, allowing the Eagles to run off with the slim victory, their eighth in 11 outings.

“I don’t know how to phrase this but I’m not happy with how we won,” said AdMU coach Bo Perasol after his charges dodged the bullet and foiled a bonfire celebration for the Maroons, who were looking to beat the Eagles for the first time since a 68-58 reversal back in 2009.

Ateneo seized a 44-31 tear late in the third but UP, behind JR Gallarza and Reyes, fiercely fought its way back in the game, catching up at 59-all. The Eagles restored a 70-64 cushion going to the last 2:25 but Gallarza and Reyes once more got the Maroons back to within one at the 1:04 mark.

After trading unproductive offensives, UP got its chance to take the go-ahead but Diego Dario bungled a short jumper, leading to an Ateneo rebound and two free throws for Kiefer Ravena. The Ateneo star uncharacteristically failed to convert both and was called for a violation when he prematurely crossed the stripe to go for the rebound.

That led to the sequence where Reyes got tagged by Newsome. Reyes had previously punched in 15 points in the fourth period before the fiery form abandoned him in those make-or-break FTs.

“I’ve spoken how UP has improved a lot in the second round. In fact, a lot of us were thinking we can coast against UP, that’s why we didn’t expect they’re going to come back against us. They defended really well on some of our scorers and we weren’t able to score when it mattered and missed free throws also.

“But I’m glad we’re able to get this win because this is not just a win against UP, this is going to make us even with those at the top (other teams in the Top 4), if they win later today or in the next games. I hope we can improve in time for our game against Adamson on Saturday. We have to better,” said Perasol.

Ravena paced Ateneo with 19 markers and seven assists.

Reyes wound up with a game-high 19 markers spiked by three triples but his missed freebies didn’t help as UP dropped to 1-11.

“Sinabi ko ke (UP) (coach) Rey (Madrid), well, malungkot ako para sa kanila, kasi supposedly that was a won game para sa kanila if Mikee made those shots. Kung isipin ko rin, if Kiefer made his shots medyo mahirap pa rin naman. But time talaga ang kailangan ng UP. They’re going to improve in due time,” said Perasol, a UP alumnus.

Reyes, for his part, readily owned up to the loss.

"Pag nagsulat kayo, sabihin niyo na ako ang nagpatalo," he said.