MANILA, Philippines – To those who still don’t believe, start now.
The UE Red Warriors kept up their blazing run through the first round of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament, dismantling the reeling Ateneo Blue Eagles for the first time in nine years off a 69-62 finish at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, October 2.
With the win to rise to a 4-2 record, UE now ranks third behind Season 86 finalist UP (6-0) and defending champion La Salle (5-1), while sending Ateneo down its second straight loss for a 1-5 slate in a three-way cellar tie with FEU and NU.
Hulking big man Precious Momowei powered the victory with a huge 18-point, 15-rebound double-double in a full 40-minute marathon, while sniper Wello Lingolingo did his 13-point damage in just 19 minutes on a 3-of-4 downtown clip.
The Blue Eagles looked well in control at the turn of the two halves as they transformed a 26-30 deficit at intermission to a 45-35 lead off a 19-5 third-quarter burst, capped with a Shawn Tuano corner three with 1:02 left in the frame.
Still down 51-54 with 4:13 left in regulation, UE pulled out a stunning 17-2 volley seemingly out of nowhere, powered by a three-triple barrage — two straight from Rainer Maga and another from Devin Fikes — to end up with a 66-56 gap after a pair of John Abate free throws with 41 ticks left.
Unable to recover in time, Ateneo just hacked Abate repeatedly as time wound down, leading the veteran guard to convert 7 of his 10 free throw attempts in the final 54 seconds of the contest as he finished with 9 points on just one field goal made, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.
Maga, meanwhile, added 8 points, 3 boards, and 3 dimes in the historic win to further boost UE’s Final Four comeback campaign.
“I just challenged my players last practice because our rotation again got ruined with Ethan Galang suffering right now from a knee problem,” UE head coach Jack Santiago said in Filipino.
“The boys were just challenged especially those coming off the bench, because they need to step up and fill Ethan’s spot. I’m happy with the boys. They responded very well.”
Tuano and Joshua Lazaro paced the sorry loss with 14 points apiece, followed by 12 points and 6 dimes from Jared Bahay.
Co-captain Chris Koon, meanwhile, fired blanks with a 0-of-8 clip and 0-of-7 from three for just 1 point, as fellow leader Sean Quitevis shot 0-of-2 to end up scoreless.
UE 69 – Momowei 18, Lingolingo 13, Abate 9, Maga 8, J. Cruz-Dumont 8, Fikes 7, Mulingtapang 4, Wilson 2, H. Cruz-Dumont 0.
Ateneo 62 – Tuano 14, Bahay 12, Lazaro 14, Bongo 7, Balogun 6, Porter 6, Espinosa 2, Koon 1, Quitevis 0, Espina 0, Gamber 0.
Quarters: 16-15, 30-26, 37-45, 69-62.
– Rappler.com
