MANILA – Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles kept its unbeaten slate in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball via a 63-46 rout of Far Eastern University Tamaraws at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Ivorian import Angelo Kouame tallied 14 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks on Saturday night while Adrian Wong and Ferdinand “Thirdy” Ravena III added 13 and 11 markers, respectively.
The Blue Eagles improved to a 4-0 win-loss slate.
It was a slow moving game for both teams offensively until the defending champions created distance from the Tamaraws in the third period at 42-23 on a Kouame triple.
The Tamaraws fought back and got to within 10, 51-41, but that was quickly answered back with a 9-0 spurt for the Blue Eagles to hold a 60-41 advantage late in the match.
“From the looks of it, we have to be a good defensive team since we can’t knock the ball down even in an ocean. That’s what we’re trying to do to keep the offense of the opponents struggling,” said Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin.
As the Tamaraws slumped to 1-2 win-loss card, Barkley Ebona top-scored with eight points and eight rebounds while rookie Xyrus Torres scored eight as well on a 2-of-7 night from deep. Meanwhile, one-and-done player Rey Suerte drained a game-winning triple as the University of the East Red Warriors averted a meltdown for an 89-88 escape over De La Salle University Green Archers.
After seeing its double-digit advantage turned into an 88-86 deficit after a three-pointer by Green Archers’ Aljun Melecio, Suerte converted from top-of-the-key to swung the lead to his team for good./PN
