Green Archers trumps Ateneo to move closer to UAAP crown

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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Jeron Teng scored a crucial last-minute basket as the De La Salle University Green Archers escaped to a 67-65 win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball finals on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Trailing for the first time in the match at 65-64 following a basket by Matt Nieto, Teng went on a fastbreak layup to surge to a 66-65 lead. After a miss by the Blue Eagles, Kirell Montalbo iced the Green Archers’ win with a free throw.

Teng finished with 10 points, six coming in the first quarter, for the Green Archers, which moved a win closer to bagging its ninth UAAP men’s basketball championship.

Cameroonian import Benoit Mbala finished with double-double 20 points and 15 rebounds, while rookie Aljun Melecio had 12 markers for the Green Archers, which can finish the series on Wednesday.

“We were going back to the scheme. We called our plays, we executed our plays,” Green Archers head coach Aldin Ayo said. “Good thing for us, the players are trying their best to do the game plan.”

The Green Archers went on a strong 16-2 start behind Teng, Montalbo and Julian Sargent. The lead swelled further to 19-6 at the end of the period courtesy of Abu Tratter.

The Blue Eagles made a run early in the second frame behind Aaron Black and George Isaac Go to trim the deficit to 26-22 but consecutive hits by Mbala, Thomas Torres and Rashleigh Rivero gave the Green Archers a 36-26 halftime lead.

The Green Archers widened the gap to 41-28 early in the third frame behind Mbala and Prince Rivero. But the Blue Eagles launched another rally behind Black, Raffy Verano and Nieto for a 52-all deadlock.

The Green Archers zoomed to a 59-52 lead in the fourth frame behind Teng and Andrei Caracut but the Blue Eagles inched close at 60-59 on conversions by Mike Nieto and Chibueze Ikeh.

Consecutive hits by Ikeh put the Blue Eagles to within 64-63 before taking the lead on an inside hit by Nieto. But three straight points from Teng and Montalbo gave the Green Archers the win.

Black led the way with 12 points and eight rebounds for the Blue Eagles, which will hope to extend the best-of-three championship series to a do-or-die game next Saturday.

In women’s action, two-time defending champions National University Lady Bulldogs moved closer to a three-peat following a 77-74 escape over the DLSU Lady Archers./PN
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