Blue Eaglets defeat Bullpups to regain UAAP Juniors title
The Ateneo Blue Eaglets are once against kings of the UAAP Juniors basketball competitions as they bested the National University Bullpups, 90-73, Friday afternoon at the San Juan Arena.
One loss was apparently all the Blue Eaglets needed to wake them up and prepare them for a championship run. After sweeping the elimination round, and barging straight to the finals, a rusty Ateneo squad lost the first game of the finals against the gallant Bullpups. However, the Eaglets rebounded with a close win in Game 2 and closed out the show in Game 3.
Jolo Mendoza scored 30 points on 10 of 24 shooting from the field while adding three rebounds and two assists. Matt Nieto also had one of his best games of the season with 25 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. He didn’t shoot a lot from the field but he made 16 of 17 free throws.
The third member of Ateneo’s Big Three, Mike Nieto had 12 points eight rebounds, an assist, two steals, and one block.
After a close first quarter that saw the Eaglets take a 22-21 lead, they broke the game wide open in the second as they outscored the Bullpups 30-13. NU groped for form as they turned the ball regularly while Ateneo banked on the brilliance of Mendoza who already had 21 points at the half.
John Clemente tried his best to keep NU in the game as he totaled 24 points and seven rebounds in the contest. They were able to trim Ateneo’s lead down to eight points, 65-57, but Mendoza and the Nietos were too poised down the stretch for the defending champions.
Mendoza was named the Finals MVP with an average of 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in three games.
The Bullpups could only blame themselves as they committed 22 turnovers compared to Ateneo’s 10. They also allowed the Eaglets to take 45 free throw attempts.
