Ateneo Blue Eagles gained a twice-to-beat advantage after eliminating University of the East with a 97-73 win on Saturday in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
With just three games away from an elimination round sweep, the Blue Eagles grabbed a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four contest, while the surging Red Warriors are eliminated with a 3-9 card.
“We’re happy to get this one under our belt, because every game is a step forward for our team. We wanted to focus and play well in this game. What worked for us is the quality of our performance,” said coach Tab Baldwin.
Thirdy Ravena led the Blue Eagles in the first half after he shot five consecutive points to cap off a 24-11 run that gave Ateneo a 45-29 lead.
Meanwhile, Kris Porter capped off a 20-8 run with a booming triple in the fourth period, to lead as much as 31 points, 91-60.
Ravena topped Ateneo with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Jolo Mendoza chipped in 13 markers.
Raffy Verano added 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Vince Tolentino had 12 points.
Pasaol, who averaged with 28.2 points in the past six games, struggled in the field as he finished with his first single digit record of eight points on 2-of-11 shooting, along with seven rebounds and six assists.
“Right from the get-go, we attacked him and got some fouls on him,” added Baldwin. “We did a good job defensively on him.”
Mark Maloles finished with a game-high 20 points for UE, while Mark Olayon chipped in 15 points, four rebounds and five assists.
The Scores:
Ateneo (97) – Ravena 17, Mendoza 13, Tolentino 12, Verano 12, Asistio 9, Porter 9, Nieto Mi. 7, Ikeh 7, Mamuyac 3, Nieto Ma. 2, Go 2, Black 2, Andrade 2, Tio 0, White 0.
