Jared Bahay and Kieffer Alas took over in the clutch, propelling Ateneo de Manila University to a 69-65 victory over first-round victim National University in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Bahay, who had missed his last eight shots, came alive with back-to-back triples to turn a 59-62 deficit into a 65-62 lead with 1:19 remaining.
Alas followed suit with a triple of his own from the top of the key, extending the Blue Eagles’ advantage to 68-62 with 35.8 seconds left.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
“In the fourth quarter, I thought we couldn’t find our offensive rhythm, but in the last two minutes, Jared and Kieffer were able to deliver with those big shots. We all know that these two players are winners, are big time players, and that’s what they did,” said Ateneo team manager Nico Salva.
Macmac Alfanta answered with a four-point play for the Bulldogs but missed the bonus free throw, cutting their deficit to 65-68 with 24.2 seconds remaining.
NU then came up with a crucial defensive stop, forcing Shawn Tuano into a five-second inbound violation with 18.6 seconds left. However, Reinhard Jumamoy badly missed his three-point attempt on the ensuing possession before committing an unsportsmanlike foul on Alas with 4.6 seconds remaining.
The prized rookie, however, missed both free throws awarded for the unsportsmanlike foul, but the Blue Eagles retained possession. Fouled again, Alas made sure to sink at least one of his free throws to seal the victory and complete Ateneo’s elimination-round sweep of NU.
The Blue Eagles had previously defeated the Bulldogs, 87-76, in the first round, handing NU its most recent loss before it put together a four-game winning streak.
“We call it an important shot, but I guess for me it’s not that important kasi at the end of the day, kailangan din naman maglaro mula first quarter. In the fourth quarter, we couldn’t find our rhythm but we just trusted our shots,” said Bahay, who finished with 16 points, three rebounds, and two steals.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
On track to return to the Final Four after a two-year absence, Ateneo joined De La Salle University in third and fourth places, respectively, with identical 5-4 records. The two rivals will battle for sole possession of third place on Saturday at 6 p.m., still at the Big Dome.
Alas led the Blue Eagles with 18 points, with his lone three-pointer coming at a crucial juncture to extend their lead late in the game. He also recorded five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Meanwhile, NU saw its four-game winning streak snapped and fell to solo second place with a 6-3 record.
Mo Diassana paced the Bulldogs with 17 points on eight-of-nine shooting from the field, along with 13 rebounds and two blocks.
Jumamoy added 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists against five turnovers, while PJ Palacielo struggled offensively, scoring just six points on 12 field-goal attempts. He still contributed nine rebounds and six assists for NU.
The Bulldogs will continue their Final Four push on Saturday against the University of Santo Tomas at 2:30 p.m.
The Scores:
Ateneo (69) – Alas 18, Bahay 16, Kapihe 8, Espinosa 7, Roberts 7, Rogers 5, Tuano 4, Espina 3, Baruwa 1, Cainglet 0, Bongo 0, Leal 0.
NU (65) – Diasanna 17, Jumamoy 16, Padrones 8, Palacielo 6, Garcia 6, Francisco 6, Alfanta 6, Solomon 0, Reyes 0, Laconsay 0, Cartel 0.
Quarterscores: 24-19, 42-39, 53-53, 69-65
