Bo Perasol: Ateneo really outplayed us

MANILA, Philippines—University of the Philippines has become one of the better teams in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament, finishing with the second-best record after the elimination round.

The Fighting Maroons have clinched No. 2 in the stepladder semifinals with a 9-5 record but their final game of the eliminations ended in disaster, absorbing a beatdown at the hands of defending champion Ateneo in what head coach Bo Perasol described as a reality check.

“There was no way, if we played that way, that we could’ve beaten Ateneo,” said Perasol Wednesday after the 86-64 loss. “It’s not a fitting ending on how we would’ve wanted our elimination round but Ateneo really outplayed us.”

The Blue Eagles played with a methodical madness to break the game wide open, going on a 19-2 run to take a commanding 43-27  lead in the second quarter.

Not done doing damage, Ateneo went on a 20-12 blast in the third and just kept rolling, never letting the Fighting Maroons put up a fight.

But with a bigger battle ahead, Perasol reminded his players not to dwell on the jarring loss as the stepladder semifinals loom. The Maroons await the winner between Far Eastern U and University of Santo Tomas for a shot at a finals return.

“I hope I erased it right away in their minds, that’s my job,” said Perasol “In fact, I told them that we can’t talk about Ateneo right now because the fact is they really outplayed us, they took us away from our game, and they’re not the champions for nothing.”

UP struggled to score against the Blue Eagles’ defense going 24-of-72 from the field while Ateneo found the bottom of the basket with more ease at 34-of-64.

The Blue Eagles also outrebounded UP 46-38 and had more assists, 22-12, than the Fighting Maroons.

Perasol, however, found the silver lining in the tough loss.

“It’s important that we feel the reality so I always say that Ateneo is cut above the rest,” said Perasol. “There are so many realizations, and Ateneo was just much better against us.”