By: Joaquin Cortez
Ateneo de Manila University continued its late push for a UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Final Four berth, overcoming a second-half fightback from the University of the Philippines, 76-64, to claim its second consecutive win on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
With the Battle of Katipunan rivals entering Saturday’s matchup tied for fifth place, the Blue Eagles avenged their 82-89 first-round loss to the Fighting Maroons to improve to 5-5, behind Kacey Dela Rosa’s double-double performance of 21 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
The victory also moved Ateneo within a game of fourth-ranked Far Eastern University, which holds a 6-4 record.
With four games remaining in the elimination round, the Blue Eagles face a challenging schedule that includes matchups against powerhouses University of Santo Tomas and National University as they look to secure a late postseason berth.
Meanwhile, the Fighting Maroons’ struggles continued as they remained winless in the second round, dropping to 4-6 and slipping to solo sixth in the standings.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
“It’s a good feeling na nakabawi kami sa second round but then again, job ain’t done yet,” said Ateneo head coach PJ Navarro. “Malaking bagay talaga if ‘yung teammates ni Kacey nagco-contribute kasi it lessens her load at mas mahihirapan kaming mabantayan. Rather than just focusing on Kacey, meron kamiing maaasahan na shooters.”
After Marielle Vingno trimmed Ateneo’s lead to 19-18, the Blue Eagles responded with a decisive 15-0 run spanning the first and second quarters. Erica De Luna capped the scoring surge with a basket inside the paint to extend Ateneo’s advantage to 34-18.
Dela Rosa then converted back-to-back layups to help the Blue Eagles maintain their commanding lead heading into halftime, 46-29.
Ateneo stretched its advantage to as much as 21 points following another Dela Rosa layup, but UP refused to go down without a fight. The Fighting Maroons mounted an 18-2 run in the second half, cutting the deficit to just five after Louna Ozar connected on a midrange jumper early in the fourth quarter, 55-50.
However, that was as close as UP would get. Ateneo responded from the charity stripe, with Junize Calago sinking five consecutive free throws across separate possessions to restore the Blue Eagles’ double-digit cushion, 61-50.
Despite another UP rally in the final six minutes, Sarah Makanjuola put an end to the Fighting Maroons’ comeback hopes with a layup with 45 seconds remaining, sealing Ateneo’s fifth victory of the season.
Calago and Makanjuola provided additional firepower with 15 points apiece.
“I give it all to my coaches and my teammates. They always tell me to shoot the ball … even though I didn’t shoot well in the first round, they still have confidence in me,” said Kai Oani, who finished with 13 points, including three triples.
“This win is a big motivation for us. We’re in high spirits, and we want to keep it going in the next games,” the Filipino-American guard added.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
For UP, Ozar and Kaye Pesquera led the Fighting Maroons with 13 points apiece, while Tiani Abrams chipped in 10 points and three rebounds in the losing effort.
Both teams will enjoy a weeklong break before returning to action at the Big Dome.
Ateneo will look to keep its Final Four hopes alive when it faces defending champion University of Santo Tomas on Sunday, November 15, at 12:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, UP will aim to snap its losing streak and secure its first victory of the second round against Far Eastern University on Saturday, November 14, at 12:00 p.m.
The Scores:
Ateneo (76) – Dela Rosa 21, Calago 15, Makanjoula 15, Oani 13, Lopez 5, Cruza 3, De Luna 2, Rodriguez 2, Subejano 0, Udal 0, Lopez 0.
UP (64) – Ozar 13, Pesquera 13, Abrams 10, Francis 8, Tapawan 8, Nolasco, 5, Ka 5, Vingno 2, Loon 0, Cunanan 0, Maw 0.
Quarterscores: 28-18, 48-29, 55-48, 76-64.
