DEFENDING champion Ateneo brought its A-Game against University of Santo Tomas and was aptly rewarded yesterday.
With Kai Ballungay spearheading the attack, the Blue Eagles subdued the Growling Tigers 67-59 to halt a three-game losing streak and kept alive their bid for a Final Four slot in the 86th UAAP basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ballungay wound up with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds while Chris Koon chipped in 12 markers, six boards, and three assists.
Jared Brown also had 10 and two as the Eagles redeemed themselves from a sorry 61-65 loss to the National University Bulldogs five days back and improved to 5-6– half-a-game behind the Adamson Soaring Falcons who battled the La Salle Green Archers at press time last night.
Later, University of the Philippines turned back University of the East 79-72 and clinched a semifinals berth.
UST, coming off a 53-61 defeat to Adamson last Sunday, fell to 1-10 and was ousted from contention.
The Eagles also drubbed the Tigers 97-77 when they first met last Oct. 18.
“We’re happy to end that losing streak, that’s for sure. I was really pleased today with our defense,” Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin said. “We did a good job on Nic (Cabañero). He’s just a handful to try and defend (against) and to hold him down to 16 (points) on 33-percent shooting is a pretty good job.
“We did enough offensively to win the game. I think anybody that takes a chance on us shooting 20-percent from the three and giving us as many good looks as we got today might regret that,” he added.
Reigning MVP Malick Diouf returned from a wrist injury and shone for the Fighting Maroons with 19 points, on top of 15 caroms, and two dimes, while skipper CJ Cansino added 17 markers and three rebounds.
The triumph made up for UP’s 79-88 setback at the hands of La Salle four nights ago and raised its card to 9-2.
The Red Warriors failed to score a fitting follow up to an 87-86 escape in overtime over the Far Eastern University Tamaraws last Sunday and dropped to 4-7 for sixth.
UP whipped UE 84-69 in their first-round tiff last Oct. 4.
“We were just looking for a bounce-back game after losing the last one,” Maroons assistant coach Christian Luanzon, who spoke in lieu of strategist Goldwin Monteverde, said.
“There are things to improve, especially sa second half namin wherein there were stretches where we were flat. But you know, a win is a win, and it was a much-needed win, especially coming off a loss.”
Cabañero paced UST with 16 points, 10 boards and seven feeds, while Migs Pangilinan got 13.
