The Ateneo Blue Eagles secured their first win in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament pulling off an upset against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 60-51, after suffering three consecutive losses against fellow "big four" teams.
Ateneo's Shawn Tuano led the team's scoreboard, contributing 11 points and 4 rebounds, during their face-off with the San Marcelino-based team at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
The Blue Eagles showcased a strong performance, gaining the upper hand in the first three quarters, but found themselves in a nail-biting fourth quarter against Adamson.
The Blue Eagles established a lead of 14 points entering the final quarter.
Determined to win, Adamson aggressively initiated a 13-2 run led by Manzano, Manu Anabo, and Eli Ramos, which trimmed Ateneo’s advantage to just three points at 52-49 with 3:52 left on the clock.
Adamson's Ced Manzano kept his team within one possession by sinking a pair of free throws, bringing the score to 54-51 with 64 seconds left. However, his efforts fell short when he missed a short hook shot.
Manzano eventually fouled out after committing an intentional foul on Ian Espinosa, who clinched the victory for Ateneo with crucial free throws, increasing the Blue Eagles lead to 56-51.
Ateneo's Kristian Porter tallied eight points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while team captain Chris Koon, returning from a left ankle injury, also added eight points. Meanwhile, Joshua Lazaro and Andrew Bongo each chipped in with seven points, further boosting the team's overall performance.
On Adamson's side, Joshua Yerro and Matty Erolon each added six points to support Manzano, who was the only player to score in double digits, while OJ Ojarikre grabbed 10 rebounds.
With this victory, the Blue Eagles improved their record to 1-3, while Adamson fell to 2-2 following an impressive win over the University of Santo Tomas the previous Sunday.
The Adamson team is scheduled to face National University on September 25, while Ateneo will go up against Far Eastern University on September 29, both games taking place at the Big Dome.
Quarterscores: 17-6, 31-20, 50-36, 60-51.
