RANGED against hard-fighting Far Eastern University, Ateneo needed to show resolve befitting a reigning three-time champion yesterday.
The Blue Eagles held off the Tamaraws 79-70 for their second straight win in the 84th UAAP basketball tournament behind closed doors at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Dave Ildefonso shone anew for Ateneo, scoring 17 points, on top of four rebounds and two assists, while Tyler Tio chipped in 17 markers, spiked by four three-pointers, and two boards.
Six-foot-10 naturalized Filipino center Ange Kouame barely missed a double-double with nine points and the same number of caroms for the Eagles, who hiked their card to 2-0 and handed FEU its first loss.
The victory served as a fitting follow-up to Ateneo’s 90-81 triumph over University of the Philippines last Saturday.
Eagles coach Tab Baldwin admitted he expected FEU to give his charges fits.
“Really tough game. But you always get that with Olsen (Racela) and his team,” Baldwin said. “They’re just a tough organization and they don’t give anything away easily and that was the case again today.”
In the first game, Adamson University drubbed University of the East 82-66 to give new coach Nash Racela his first win in his return to the league.
Jerom Lastimosa fired 14 points, two rebounds, and two assists, while Keith Zaldivar added 11 and two as the Soaring Falcons rebounded from a sorry 69-71 setback to NU three days ago.
“Of course, we were happy on our part on both ends. The good thing about it is slowly the things that we emphasize on medyo naco-correct at gumaganda,” Racela said.
“So, again it’s a process as long as we take the right steps towards the right direction nga and will be good.”
Kris Pagsanjan had 17 points and eight rebounds for UE, while Aurin Catacutan contributed 12.
The Katipunan-based five took a 42-32 spread at the half and stretched the difference to 67-51 heading into the payoff period.
A Raffy Verano basket gave Ateneo a 72-57 edge, but FEU went on a 9-0 binge capped by an Emman Ojuola bucket that pulled the Tams to within 66-72 at the 4:34 mark of the fourth quarter.
But Ildefonso drained a booming triple that doused cold water on FEU’s fightback.
RJ Abarrientos paced the Tams with 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Ojuola added 15 and 17.
