Eagles soar to 2nd straight win

MANILA, Philippines —  Ateneo hung on to clip University of the East in another nail-biter, 62-60, and seize the early lead in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena.

One-and-done player Kymani Ladi once again came to the rescue with a go-ahead triple in the last 23 seconds as the Blue Eagles banked on their defensive claws the rest of the way for a 2-0 start.

The Blue Eagles wasted a chance to seal the deal by misfiring three of their last four free throws down the stretch. But UE anchor Precious Momowei also missed a potential game-winning triple from centercourt, allowing Ateneo to post its second straight victory.

Ateneo, also behind the heroics of Ladi, escaped with an 86-83 overtime win over Far Eastern U in the opening weekend for a quick turnaround from a dismal 0-3 start last season.

“It wasn’t the best performance once again for us but it was a gutsy win. We made shots we had to make and stops we had to make,” said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin, looking good so far after missing the semis for the first time last season with a 4-10 record.