27 October 2018
By Maxine Louise Lagman
Manila, Philippines – Defending champion Ateneo De Manila University defeated National University, 79-64 on Saturday and secured their place in the playoffs in the UAAP Season 94 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Thirdy Ravena orchestrated a 10-0 run from the get-go with the help of big man Angelo Kouame.
The Blue Eagles made it look easy and never gave the Bulldogs a chance to recover from their double-digit deficit all throughout the game.
With the win, Ateneo improved their record ahead of Adamson University, which they will face in their next game next week.
Ravena paved the way for Ateneo with a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double on top of three assists, one steal and one block, while Kouame added another double-double of 19 points and 17 rebounds along with six blocks.
Rookie SJ Belangel also had a great game as he finished with 11 markers, three assists and two rebounds.
On the other hand, rookies led the way for NU.
John Lloyd Clemente had 25 points, while Dave Ildefonso chipped in 13 markers as NU dropped to a 3-7 win-loss record, which pushed them to the edge of elimination.
The Scores:
ATENEO 79 – Ravena 23, Kouame 19, Belangel 11, Verano 7, Go 7, Tio 3, Black 3, Mendoza 2, Mamuyac 2, Daves 2, Asistio 0, Wong 0, Navarro 0, Andrade 0
NU 64 – Clemente 25, Ildefonso D 13, Ildefonso S 7, Diputado 5, Yu 5, Gaye 4, Joson 3, Rike 2, Gallego 0, Sinclair 0, Galinato 0, Morido 0, Malonzo 0
QUARTER SCORES: 22-11, 47-25, 65-47, 79-64
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