Soaring Eagles

INQUIRER PHOTO/Denison Dalupang

Ateneo held off San Beda’s spirited fightbacks down the stretch to carve out a 57-46 decision as the Blue Eagles repeated as kings of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) on Sunday afternoon at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

SJ Belangel came through when it mattered most, pouring all of his 10 points in the payoff period to help take the load off Ange Kouame’s shoulders and right the ship for the Eagles when they were pressed as Ateneo won a fifth title here—the most by any school thus far.

“I just calmed myself down and just surveyed what the defense was giving to me,” said Belangel, a crafty playmaker who greased Ateneo’s 12-0 run toward the end.

Kouame finished with a monster double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds despite the defense of San Beda being focused on him all game long.

“You have to commend San Beda’s defense, too. But we ought to slow them down and look at what they were giving away and then from there just make shots and execute better, as shown by that fourth quarter,” assistant coach Gabby Severino said.

Like in the Final Four, Ateneo came back stingier on defense in the second half. Against San Beda in the final dance, the Eagles yielded just five points in the fourth quarter.

Calvin Oftana led the way for San Beda with 14 points, finishing as the lone Red Lion in twin digits.

Kemark Cariño had eight and Ralph Penuela tossed in seven for SBU in the losing stand.Belangel, Kouame, Oftana, Penuela, and University of the Visayas’ Lassina Coulibaly were later voted to make up the tournament’s mythical team.

Meanwhile, University of the Visayas annihilated University of the Philippines, 93-63, to clinch third spot.

Jancork Cabahug scored 21 points to lead all of the Green Lancers and form a potent 1-2 punch with Coulibaly, a 6-foot-9 big man from Ivory Coast, who finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds.

Melvin Butohan, who was just as crucial in UV’s exploits early in the tourney, finished with 15 off the bench. INQ