MANILA — Kieffer Alas shook off a miserable shooting night with a clutch scoring burst in the final minutes as Ateneo de Manila University erased a 17-point deficit and stunned National University, 87-76, in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament Saturday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
After missing 13 of his first 16 shots, Alas suddenly caught fire when the Blue Eagles needed him most, converting four straight attempts in the final 2:34 to turn a 73-74 deficit into a commanding Ateneo victory.
“Talaga lang makapal ang mukha. Kidding aside, I told him na as long as it’s not a bad shot, as long as you’re free, go, because that’s your role, to score,” Ateneo head coach Louie Alas said.
Reinhard Jumamoy briefly restored NU’s advantage with back-to-back layups for a 74-73 lead with 2:54 remaining, but Kieffer Alas responded with a layup to push Ateneo back in front.
Ian Espinosa then dove for a loose ball that resulted in an EJ Kapihe breakaway basket for a 77-74 cushion.
Alas followed with a steal and another layup before burying a heavily contested three-pointer with 1:08 left, stretching the Blue Eagles’ advantage to 82-74 and effectively putting the Bulldogs away.
The dramatic finish completed Ateneo’s comeback from a disastrous opening half in which it trailed by as many as 17 points, 19-36, midway through the second quarter.
Seniors Shawn Tuano and Andrew Bongo sparked the turnaround, powering a furious Blue Eagles rally that transformed the 17-point hole into a 45-40 halftime advantage.
Ateneo went on to secure its second consecutive victory and climb to the top of the tightly packed standings.
“Our team has been working on different type of stuff so I can’t say na there’s pressure naman sa last couple of minutes but I feel like what we’ve been through helped with how we handle pressure in a way,” said Alas, who finished with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.
Bongo contributed 16 points, including 15 in the first half, while Tuano and Travis Roberts added 14 points apiece. Kapihe chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.
Tebol Garcia paced the Bulldogs with 18 points, while Jumamoy had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Paul Francisco added 14 points for NU, which fell to a 2-2 record./PN
