MANILA, Philippines—Joseph Obasa was one of the main factors in Ateneo’s momentous win over University of the East, 76-69, in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday. On top of tallying 16 points and eight rebounds, Obasa was also monstrous on the defensive end as he tallied six of the Blue Eagles’ seven team blocks. The foreign big man, though, deflected credit for his masterclass on defense and clarified that his performance was bred from overall team effort. “The numbers don’t just mean that there was good defense, it also means there were a lot of rotations as a team. We want to keep people away from the paint, we want to be tough defensively and it’s really just a team thing,” he said. “It’s not like there was an instruction to go out there and get blocks. We’re just trying to get better defensively, especially because that’s something we’re really trying to improve on.” Obasa was partly right. Ateneo suffocated the Red Warriors on defense, forcing UE to just 30 of its team’s 72 attempts from the field. To make matters worse, the UAAP defending champions forced coach Jack Santiago’s wards to 13 turnovers. Despite Ateneo’s defensive efforts, UE still kept up with the competition until the fourth quarter. Obasa, though, was relieved that Ateneo got the victory in spite of the Red Warriors’ fightback and he recognizes how much they need to get better. “It definitely feels good to get a win but from a performance perspective, I don’t think this is the best game but we have to hope and grow as a team, execute and try to be a reflection of what we practice.” Up next for Obasa and the Blue Eagles on Saturday are Far Eastern University, which is still looking for its first win after four outings.
