The Blue Eagles made sure there will be one more La Salle-Ateneo game this year when they turned back the Green Archers, 65-64, in the 70th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
Facing elimination, the Eagles lived to fight for another day by overhauling a six-point deficit, 58-64, with only 2:10 to go in the game.
Ateneo held La Salle scoreless the rest of the way while tallying seven points to post the come-from-behind victory.
“Our defense came through for us tonight,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black. “La Salle came up with a pretty good game plan which kept us at bay. But we had a lot more energy in the end. Chris [Tiu] also stepped up for us in the second half.”
Tiu, held to only a single point the entire first half, woke up in the second half, scoring six markers in the pivotal third period and then unloading seven points in the fourth when his team needed them the most.
Tiu drilled a triple to cut the La Salle lead to only three points, 61-64, at the 1:54 mark.
Ateneo’s Ford Arao, shadowed by the double-teaming La Salle defense, drilled a jumper as the 24-second clock sounded to cut the gap to only one point, 63-64, with 51 seconds left.
Arao then set up Ateneo’s final attempt at the basket with a brush screen at the top of the key, freeing Tiu from his defender and allowing him to sail in for the winning layup with only seven seconds to go in the game.
La Salle had one final chance to win game, but JV Casio passed up his chance to be a hero when after eluding his guard, passed the ball to Bader Malabes at the corner. Malabes missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
“We’re very happy to have won the game,” said Black. “We have one more chance to fight another day. That’s all we ever wanted coming into the game. We wanted it and now we have that chance to advance to the championship. Now, it’s time for the coaching staff of both teams to sit down and devise a new game plan.”
Ateneo meets La Salle in a knockout game at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum with the winner advancing to the best-of-three championship against the University of the East Warriors on Thursday next week.
Facing elimination, the Eagles lived to fight for another day by overhauling a six-point deficit, 58-64, with only 2:10 to go in the game.
Ateneo held La Salle scoreless the rest of the way while tallying seven points to post the come-from-behind victory.
“Our defense came through for us tonight,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black. “La Salle came up with a pretty good game plan which kept us at bay. But we had a lot more energy in the end. Chris [Tiu] also stepped up for us in the second half.”
Tiu, held to only a single point the entire first half, woke up in the second half, scoring six markers in the pivotal third period and then unloading seven points in the fourth when his team needed them the most.
Tiu drilled a triple to cut the La Salle lead to only three points, 61-64, at the 1:54 mark.
Ateneo’s Ford Arao, shadowed by the double-teaming La Salle defense, drilled a jumper as the 24-second clock sounded to cut the gap to only one point, 63-64, with 51 seconds left.
Arao then set up Ateneo’s final attempt at the basket with a brush screen at the top of the key, freeing Tiu from his defender and allowing him to sail in for the winning layup with only seven seconds to go in the game.
La Salle had one final chance to win game, but JV Casio passed up his chance to be a hero when after eluding his guard, passed the ball to Bader Malabes at the corner. Malabes missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
“We’re very happy to have won the game,” said Black. “We have one more chance to fight another day. That’s all we ever wanted coming into the game. We wanted it and now we have that chance to advance to the championship. Now, it’s time for the coaching staff of both teams to sit down and devise a new game plan.”
Ateneo meets La Salle in a knockout game at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum with the winner advancing to the best-of-three championship against the University of the East Warriors on Thursday next week.
No comments:
Post a Comment