1 week Ago By Philip Matel
MANILA, Philippines – Fresh off a “horrendous, difficult” first round, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are suddenly within striking distance of a UAAP men’s basketball Final Four slot. Thanks to a 67-64 win over the UST Growling Tigers on Saturday, October 19, the Blue Eagles have found themselves at fifth place with a 3-6 record, holding the tiebreaker against the Adamson Soaring Falcons and the FEU Tamaraws. Years removed from its dynastic ways, Ateneo reveled in its first consecutive victories this season after enduring a dismal 1-6 run in the first round.
“It does take some of the pressure off. It does relieve things a bit,” said Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin. “But we’re really trying to mature a lot of younger players, a lot of players that lack significant experience.
You know, this group of guys had to replace a lot of players that were expected to be here this season.” “Nobody likes to give results away so it’s always, you know, kind of a joyous occasion when we get a result. In other years, we would have been very circumspect about enjoying our results because we would have been focused on loftier goals.
This year, we don’t want to get too carried away when we get a result, but these guys deserve to enjoy them because trust me, tomorrow in practice or Monday in practice, the focus is going to be again on maturation and evolution, and development with a view to winning more games.” In a rare event not seen since the 1990s when Ateneo used to host games at the Loyola Center (now Blue Eagle Gym), UST enjoyed the privilege of hosting a true home game at the Quadricentennial Pavilion. However, the visiting Blue Eagles proved to be the hungrier team, leading by as many as 13 in the first quarter, an advantage that they protected until the final buzzer.
Ateneo also made some key defensive stops and had only 8 turnovers, fewer than its league-leading mark of 10.4 through its first 9 contests. “We like the results.
The coaches will get together for a meal now, we’ll be happy, and we’ll be joyous. But the players will go their own way and have a great night, I’m sure, and they deserve that,” said Baldwin. “But, you know, in a New York minute, we’ll be focused on our problems and areas that need improvement.
” Up next for the Blue Eagles are the Falcons, defending champion La Salle, and perennial finalist UP — a tough stretch of formidable teams that will test Ateneo’s mettle. – Rappler.com.
