Ateneo battled back from an 11-point deficit in the second half to frustrate the UE Red Warriors and snap a five-game losing skid in UAAP Season 88.
Ateneo clawed back form 11 points down en route to victory, 78-74, in its back-and-forth battle with Wello Lingolingo and the UE Red Warriors in the second round of UAAP Season 88 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Wednesday.
The Blue Eagles rode a fourth quarter where they outscored their foes, 21-10, to snap their five-game losing skid and keep the Red Warriors winless this season despite the return of Lingolingo from a three-game suspension.
UE was ahead by seven, 64-57, heading into the fourth quarter.
But Divine Adili led a 14-4 run that saw Ateneo gain the lead with 3:47 left, 72-71.
While a John Abate and-one momentarily shifted the lead to back UE’s side, free throws towed Ateneo to victory.
With 31 ticks left, Adili was once again sent to the charity stripe to seal the match. Despite missing one of his freebies, Adili was able to collect the rebound off a miss from Lingolingo to force UE to play the foul game.
Ateneo thus keeps its Final Four hopes alive with a 5-5 slate while UE falls to a listless 0-10 campaign. The Red Warriors are officially out of semis contention.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.