ATENEO AVENGES LOSS TO FEU IN OVERTIME, BACK IN UAAP FINALS
By Maxine Louise Lagman
30 November 2016
AFTER a heated match inside the jam-packed Araneta Coliseum, the Ateneo De Manila University went home victorious after winning their second game against the Far Eastern University on Wednesday, 69-68.
With FEU defeating Ateneo in their first game in the Final Four, the Blue Eagles had the chance to avenge their spot in the Finals of the UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball tournament.
Ateneo started on the bad foot in the do-or-die match in the first half of the game, with the former UAAP basketball champions FEU leading the match and left the Blue Eagles running after them.
However, everything changed for the Blue Eagles by the third period, as they got past through the Tamaraws, 53-49.
Despite a bloodied nose because of an elbow after a rebound from FEU player Prince Orizu, Isaac Go still made a comeback for Ateneo making a go-ahead basket during the overtime and soon helped the squad to victory.
With big man Go, he led Ateneo and made a putback and stopped FEU guard Ron Dennison from making their winning shot and ‘could have been’ victory against second-seed Ateneo.
The Tamaraws could have won the match against the Blue Eagles if Dennison did shoot the buzzer beater, but Go’s impressive presence in the defense helped Ateneo from stopping the former champs from making it to the finals.
Go had a double-double record, 12 points and 14 rebounds. While Ateneo standout Thirdy Ravena and Mike Nieto had 13 points each.
FEU Monbert Arong had 15 points while Raymar Jose had a double-double as well in his final game in the UAAP tournament, 12 points and 12 rebounds.
It is a sad defeat for the former UAAP basketball champions, as FEU Coach Nash Racela will also be going to TNT Katropa as a full time PBA coach.
The Blue Eagles will meet their rival, De La Salle University once again in the crowd’s dream finals showdown on Saturday at the Mall of Asia.
The dream match will be the first since 2008 when Ateneo was led by veterans Chris Tiu and Rabeh Al-Hussaini as they defeated La Salle, with Jvee Casio in their finals two games.
Follow the writer on Twitter: [social link=”https://twitter.com/burnsports” icon=”62218″]
