11 September 2019
By Maxine Louise Lagman
MANILA, Philippines – Ateneo De Manila University Blue Eagles soared over the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 71-70, on Wednesday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Blue Eagles remained undefeated with a 3-0 standing, while Growling Tigers fell to 2-1 in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament.
“We understood that game was going to be a really, really tough game and I feel very, very fortunate that we won the game,” said Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin post-game. “We’re very fortunate.”
Ateneo started strong with a 10-point lead, 23-13, but the Tigers managed to outrun the Eagles in the second quarter with a 24-10 blast that turned the lead to their side, 37-33.
UST banked on their fast-paced rhythm and continued to lead the game in the third quarter, 56-53, but Ateneo slowly emerged in the crucial minutes of the game.
Three minutes left on the clock, Thirdy Ravena sank a basket that pulled Ateneo within one, 66-67. Big man Ange Kouame then put in a layup for a 68-67 lead with a few seconds left on the clock.
Ravena added two freebies that gave them a 70-67 advantage, 11.6 ticks to go.
CJ Cansino tried to put in a triple for the Tigers, but it rimmed out. Matt Nieto went in for a rebound and got fouled off. He split his free throws, which sealed the deal for Ateneo, as veteran Renzo Subido’s buzzer beater trey was put to waste.
“At the end of the day, you know, we got the basket that we needed to get, and, and then held on defensively,” Baldwin added, at the same time preaching UST head coach Aldin Ayo for the great match. “It was a great game and those last few minutes were pretty tough, pretty tense.”
Ravena topped Ateneo with a double-double record of 17 points and 20 rebounds, along with two assists and two steals, while Kouame added his own 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.
For UST, Soulemane Chabi Yo finished with a game-high 25 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Rhenz Abando, Mark Nonoy, and Subido added nine markers each as they suffered their first loss in the season for a 2-1 slate.
The Scores:
ATENEO 71 — Ravena 17, Kouame 11, Mamuyac 10, Navarro 8, Belangel 6, Maagdenberg 6, Ma. Nieto 5, Go 3, Wong 3, Mi. Nieto 2, Andrade 0, Daves 0, Tio 0.
UST 70 — Chabi Yo 25, Abando 9, Nonoy 9, Subido 9, Huang 6, Cansino 4, Concepcion 4, Ando 2, Paraiso 2, Bataller 0.
QUARTER SCORES: 23-13, 33-37, 53-56, 71-70.
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