In a stunning comeback, Ateneo de Manila University rallied from a 13-point deficit to send College of Saint Benilde packing, 81-78, in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 Pinoyliga Big Dance on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym, with Kieffer Alas delivering a statement performance for the Blue Eagles.
Alas led all scorers with 26 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Travis Roberts scored in double digits anew with 16 points for Ateneo. Matthew Jucom paced Benilde with 19 points, 15 of which came from beyond the arc on an impressive 71 percent shooting clip.
Despite Ateneo’s physicality in the paint, the Blazers made the most of their outside shooting, knocking down seven triples in the first quarter alone and building a lead of as many as 13 points before halftime.
However, a spirited comeback led by Alas brought the Blue Eagles within five, 53-48, at halftime. He and Roberts then went on a tear in the third quarter, combining for 12 of Ateneo’s 15 points as the Blue Eagles mounted a massive comeback to tie the game at 65-all.
The momentum finally shifted to Loyola’s side when Alas drained a logo three with 5:09 remaining in the fourth quarter, giving Ateneo a 74-70 lead and sending the Blue Eagle Gym crowd into a frenzy.
Although Roberts’ and-one play briefly restored the Blue Eagles’ four-point cushion at 79-75, Jhomel Ancheta drilled a huge three with 15.7 seconds remaining to keep the Blazers’ hopes alive.
But despite Benilde’s best efforts, Alas once again came through for Ateneo, scoring off a forced turnover before hustling back on defense to help secure the 81-78 victory.
Ateneo head coach Louie Alas admitted his team struggled to find its footing early, particularly on the defensive end.
“We started very flat, super flat in the first half. We gave up 11 three-pointers. We’re not like that in practice, so back to the drawing board. Nanalo nga kami, pero back to the drawing board,” said the patriarch of the Alas household.
The Blue Eagles were once again shorthanded, playing without veterans Shawn Tuano and Andrew Bongo, who are currently with the Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 squad for the FIBA 3×3 Nations League-Asia Southeast Asia Conference.
Bad blood had already been brewing before the matchup, stemming from Jhomel Ancheta’s social media “Ipasa mo pre” remark directed at Edward Labayen, who was seen repeatedly trash-talking Jared Bahay during Ateneo’s clash against Our Lady of Fatima University last Sunday.
Meanwhile, Paolo Layug took over coaching duties for the Blazers in lieu of head coach Charles Tiu, who had just wrapped up his stint with Strong Group Athletics at the 45th William Jones Cup in Taiwan.
The Scores:
Ateneo 81 – Alas 26, Roberts 16, Bahay 8, Baruwa 7, Espinosa 7, Leal 6, Rogers 6, Cainglet 5, Kapihe 0, Asoro 0.
Benilde 78 – Jucom 19, Morales 14, Ancheta 11, Sanchez 11, Celis 8, Moore 7, Daja 3, Torres 3, Galas 2, Lorenzo 0, Go 0, Mulingtapang 0, Podador 0, Arejola 0.
Quarterscores: 29-23; 53-48; 65-65; 81-78
