Matt Nieto’s clutch heroics helped Ateneo advance to the semifinals and eliminate Letran, 74-72, in Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup Thursday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
Nieto took over for the Blue Eagles down the stretch, tying the game at 72 with 17.1 ticks remaining before nailing the game-winning layup 12 seconds after.
Ateneo, which just arrived from Greece Wednesday night, stayed unscathed in the pre-season tournament after it also swept the elimination round.
“We played the kind of defense that we want to do and in the end we were able to come up with stops and execute on the offensive end,” Ateneo assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga said.
The Blue Eagles face the Far Eastern University on Friday in the knockout semis.
Ateneo had a balanced scoring with nine players scoring five points led by Nieto’s nine.
JP Calvo led the Knights with 16 markers. Justin Robert Valencia