UAAP Final Four: Bulldogs assert mastery of Blue Eagles

ALFRED Aroga ofNUprotects the ball fromGideon Babilonia ofAteneo in yesterday’s match at SmartAraneta Coliseum. AUGUST DELACRUZ

MANILA, Philippines — National University remained a big puzzle for Ateneo. The Bulldogs made it 3-0 over the Eagles this season, hacking out a 78-74 victory Wednesday to forge a rubber match with the top semifinalist for a championship berth in the UAAP men’s basketball at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Shooting near-perfect from the field, Jay Alejandro fueled the Bulldogs’ early scoring surge before coming through in the end-game by nailing two pressure-packed free throws that put NU back on top, 73-72, with 59.3 seconds left.

“It was important for us to start strong. We made our shots early and that gave us the confidence,” said NU coach Eric Altamirano. “[In the second half], the breaks didn’t go our way but I’m proud of the boys. We held up, stayed focused, kept our composure and made our free throws.”

The Bulldogs will try to overcome the twice-to-beat advantage of the top-ranked Eagles in a knockout semifinal duel on Wednesday also at the Big Dome.

The Eagles haven’t beaten the Bulldogs in five games since last season. Alejandro, who shot 6-of-7 from the field, pumped in nine of his 20 points from three-point range to power the Bulldogs to double-digit leads as high as 15 points, 68-53.

Gelo Alolino added 16 points, the last four on free throws inside the last 31 seconds that cushioned the Bulldogs’ advantage, 77-72.

“The one thing we really wanted to do was to have a good start and it did not happen,” said Ateneo coach Bo Perasol.

The Bulldogs, who shot a staggering 68 percent from the field in the first half, pulled off the upset despite scoring no field goal and losing key cogs Alfred Aroga and Glenn Khobuntin to fouls in the last eight minutes.

Kiefer Ravena scored on a drive that put the Eagles within a point, 74-75, but later missed a potential game-tying triple with 5.5 ticks left after Alolino’s buffer free throws pushed the Bulldogs up by three, 77-74.

Ravena, who shot a game-high 24 points, nailed back-to-back triples before Nico Elorde gave the Eagles the lead for the first and last time at 72-71, with 1:14 minutes to go.

The scores:

NU 78—Alejandro 20, Alolino 16, Khobuntin 12, Aroga 11, Rosario 6, Diputado 5, Javelona 4, Betayene 2, Neypes 2, Perez 0.

ATENEO 74—K. Ravena 24, Newsome 14, Elorde 12, Pessumal 7, Capacio 6, Tolentino 6, Gotladera 3, T. Ravena 2, Babilonia 0, Doliguez 0, Porter 0.

Quarters: 24-14, 44-32, 60-50, 78-74