Ateneo nips UE; UST now number four
MANILA—Unbeated Ateneo clinched the first Final Four berth, but not after surviving a big scare from doormat University of the East.
Turning to Greg Slaughter for most of the second half, the Blue Eagles finally disposed off the pesky Warriors, 74-70, to stay perfect in 10 games of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Eagles, who kept their sweep bid alive, also set a league record by advancing to the Final Four for the 13th straight season.
“They (Warriors) were able to disrupt what we were trying to do offensively,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black of UE, which joined idle University of the Philippines in the cellar at 2-8.
“In the end, we really had to utilize the talents of Greg Slaughter. We had to dump the ball down to him and break them down inside because we couldn’t get our perimeter game going.”
Slaughter, the tallest player the league has seen in years at seven feet, powered the Eagles with 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
University of Santo Tomas later claimed solo fourth as the Tigers bucked La Salle’s endgame rally for a 60-52 triumph.
Jeric Teng nailed a pair of clutch treys to help the Tigers pull away in the final two minutes. He finished with 14 points on top of five boards and a couple of steals.
“This is a breakout game for Jeric; we needed this win,” said coach Pido Jarencio after the Tigers improved to 5-5.
With their third straight loss, the Archers dropped to a share of fifth with idle National University at 4-6.
Ateneo’s 13th straight semifinal appearance surpassed the 12 consecutive Final Four stint set by La Salle from 1994 to 2005.
Guards Emman Monfort and Kiefer Ravena also delivered all-around games to help prop up Ateneo, which trailed 33-37 at the break.
“I give a lot of credit to UE; they played us tough, they played us physical,” said Black. “From the opening tip, they sent the message they want to be in the game and they wanted to win the game.”
Monfort collected 13 markers, six rebounds and six assists, while Ravena also shone with 12 points, five boards, five assists and three steals.
The Warriors gave the Eagles a tough time until the final stretch with JM Noble and Paul Zamar firing back-to-back triples that trimmed Ateneo’s eight-point lead, 72-64, to just a bucket, 72-70, with 19.3 seconds left.
Monfort, though, nailed a pair of buffer free throws for the final tally.
Noble had a game-high 21 points for the Warriors
The Tigers—whose last win over La Salle was on Aug. 11, 2007 (81-73)—also snapped a seven-game losing skid in their head-to-head battle with the Archers.
The scores:
First Game
ATENEO 74—Slaughter 19, Monfort 13, Ravena 12, Long 7, Gonzaga 7, Chua 6, Salva 5, Austria 3, Golla 2, Sumalinog 0.
UE 70—Noble 21, Zamar 15, Duran 8, Casajeros 7, Enguio 6, Javier 4, Sumido 3, Sumang 2, Santos 2, Tagarda 2, Flores 0.
Quarters: 15-17, 33-37, 56-49, 74-70
Second Game
UST 60—Teng 14, Camus 10, Afuang 10, Abdul 9, Fortuna 8, Ferrer 6, Lo 2, Ungria 1, Vigil 0, Tan 0, Sheriff 0, Pe 0.
LA SALLE 52—Marata 11, Revilla 8, Vosotros 8, Van Opstal 6, Tampus 6, Torres 4, Atkins 3, Dela Paz 2, Villanueva 2, Mendoza 2, Paredes 0, Webb 0.
Quarters: 15-13, 30-21, 44-38, 60-52
First Game
ATENEO 74—Slaughter 19, Monfort 13, Ravena 12, Long 7, Gonzaga 7, Chua 6, Salva 5, Austria 3, Golla 2, Sumalinog 0.
UE 70—Noble 21, Zamar 15, Duran 8, Casajeros 7, Enguio 6, Javier 4, Sumido 3, Sumang 2, Santos 2, Tagarda 2, Flores 0.
Quarters: 15-17, 33-37, 56-49, 74-70
Second Game
UST 60—Teng 14, Camus 10, Afuang 10, Abdul 9, Fortuna 8, Ferrer 6, Lo 2, Ungria 1, Vigil 0, Tan 0, Sheriff 0, Pe 0.
LA SALLE 52—Marata 11, Revilla 8, Vosotros 8, Van Opstal 6, Tampus 6, Torres 4, Atkins 3, Dela Paz 2, Villanueva 2, Mendoza 2, Paredes 0, Webb 0.
Quarters: 15-13, 30-21, 44-38, 60-52
