5th straight win for Ateneo
ANTIPOLO -- Ange Kouame steered Ateneo to its fifth straight victory, taking the 71-50 win over National University in the UAAP Season 82 men's basketball tournament Sunday at Ynares Center here.
Last season's Rookie of the Year was on a league of his own, doing it all for the Blue Eagles with his 15 points, 13 rebounds, seven blocks, three assists, and two steals.
Kouame's unmatched dominance in the paint allowed Ateneo to seize control of the game with a 41-24 halftime lead.
The Bulldogs still tried to mount a rally, with Shaun Ildefonso chopping the lead down to 12, 49-37, late in the third frame, before the Blue Eagles once again took control with a 21-point fourth quarter finisher to seal the 21-point win.
Gian Mamuyac chipped in 13 points and three boards, as Thirdy Ravena had eight points and seven rebounds in the victory, where Ateneo held a lead as high as 25, 65-40, off of a Adrian Wong banker with four minutes remaining.
Despite the win, Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin still zoomed in on his side's shooting, showing little approval of his side going 40-percent from the floor.
"Our field goal percentage doesn’t flatter our play really at 40 percent. It’s something we need to continue to work on," he said.
The defense, however, is something else, with Baldwin happy to see the Blue Eagles' grit continue on that end.
"Our defense is doing a good job. It’s generating turnovers and converting those into easy points on the fastbreak," he said.
The Scores:
ATENEO 71 -- Kouame 15, Mamuyac 13, Ravena 8, Wong 6, Belangel 5, Ma. Nieto 5, Mi. Nieto 5, Andrade 3, Tio 3, Chiu 2, Credo 2, Daves 2, Maagdenberg 2, Go 0, Mallillin 0, Navarro 0.
NU 50 -- D. Ildefonso 10, S. Ildefonso 9, Gaye 8, Clemente 5, Galinato 5, Yu 4, Minerva 3, Joson 2, Mangayao 2, Mosqueda 2, Diputado 0, Gallego 0, Malonzo 0, Oczon 0, Rangel 0, Tibayan 0.
Quarterscores: 20-11, 41-24, 50-37, 71-50.