To keep their UAAP Season 88 Final Four hopes going, the Ateneo Blue Eagles must beat rival La Salle in their last game of the elimination round.
Ateneo de Manila University knocked out Adamson University with a commanding 72-61 win, keeping their Final Four hopes alive in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Blue Eagles snapped a two-game skid to improve to 6-7, tied for fifth with the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
Ateneo now must win its final elimination round game against rival De La Salle University on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to force a playoff for a semifinals berth.
“Adamson has shown all year long what a tough team they are to put away. They’ve had some of the more remarkable comeback wins and we know they’re capable of taking a knockout punch and getting up somehow… I give credit to our team for hanging on in this one and making the plays down the stretch that it took,” said Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin.
Trailing by just four points midway through the second period, Shawn Tuano, Ian Espinosa, Waki Espina, Divine Adili, and Dom Escobar combined in a decisive 16-5 Blue Eagles run to take a 42-27 halftime lead, capped by a last-gasp triple from Jaden Lazo.
Ateneo extended its lead to 65-39 entering the final frame with a 23-12 third quarter.
Although Adamson mounted a fourth-quarter threat with a 15-2 run sparked by Ray Allen Torres, the 26-point deficit proved too large to overcome, as Kymani Ladi and Espina restored order at the other end.
“I thought we played together today. I felt our team had a lot of confidence; if you look across the stat sheet here, everyone was pretty much making their shots,” said Escobar, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block.
Espina added 13 points, three assists, three steals, and a block, while Ladi contributed 13 points and five rebounds. Shawn Tuano had 11 points and six rebounds, and Divine Adili posted eight points, five rebounds, and two blocks.
Adamson closed the tournament at 6-8, currently in seventh place, while five teams still have games remaining.
Matt Erolon led the Soaring Falcons with 24 points and five rebounds, and Torres added 16 points on 17 shots.
In his final game for Adamson, Cedrick Manzano recorded seven points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Austin and Cade Ronzone also played their last game for the Soaring Falcons.
The Scores:
Ateneo (72) - Escobar 14, Ladi 13, Espina 13, Tuano 11, Adili 8, Lazaro 4, Espinosa 3, Bongo 3, Lazo 3, Bahay 0, Fjellvang 0, Gamber 0.
AdU (61) - Erolon 24, Torres 16, Manzano 7, Montebon 4, Fransman 4, Ojarikre 2, Perez 2, A. Ronzone 2, Anabo 0, Medina 0, Cañete 0, Barcelona 0, Tumaneng 0, C. Ronzone, Demisana 0, Jaymalin 0.
Quarterscores: 15-12, 42-27, 65-39, 72-61.