Blue Eagles complete amazing comeback, top Tamaraws in overtime
(UPDATED) The Ateneo Blue Eagles erased a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit and then held off the FEU Tamaraws in overtime, 68-64, to clinch the top seed in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Tamaraws looked poised to run away with the all-important victory after taking a 45-26 lead into the final 10 minutes. But the Blue Eagles exploded with 33 points in the fourth to force overtime. Ateneo then scored the first seven points of the extension period, which proved more than enough to hold off FEU’s last-ditch stand.
The Blue Eagles thus finished the elimination round on top of the eight-team field with an 11-3 record and the twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.
After playing catch-up majority of the way and struggling to find their groove against the Tamaraws’ relentless defensive pressure, the Blue Eagles suddenly regained their bearings behind their own full-court pressure, with star guard Kiefer Ravena providing the needed offensive punch in the final 10 minutes, including the extended five-minute period, to complete a stunning victory that could go down as one of the best in league history
The loss, their second straight and fourth overall against 10 wins, was a big blow for the Tamaraws, who led by as many as 55-36 midway in the fourth but suffered a costly meltdown that would pave the way for a playoff match against the winner of the La Salle-National U battle which is being played as of posting time.
The 6-foot Ravena, hounded by FEU’s stingy defense all game long, finally came to life in the payoff canto where he pumped in 12 of his game-high 23 points while getting enough lift from his solid supporting cast led by wingman Chris Newsome, who banged in a double-double outing of 13 points and a team-high 16 rebounds.
Veteran forwards Mac Belo and Roger Pogoy combined for 31 points, 14 rebounds and five steals but ace guard Mike Tolomia was nowhere near his usual form, coming up with just 10 points on a horrendous 3-of-16 shooting.
Tolomia also missed a pair of crucial freebies off a Ravena foul with the score tied at 59 that could have sealed the deal for FEU with 2.8 seconds left in regulation.
Although Ravena failed to hit the potential game-winning baseline jumper in regulation, the Blue Eagles continued to pour it on in overtime, taking a 66-59 cushion capped by Newsome’s off-balanced floater.
The Tamaraws, however, leaned on the exploits of Pogoy and Carl Cruz, who combined in a needed five-to-nothing run to pull them within two with 54.9 seconds left, sending the game into a cardiac finish.
Despite suffering a 24-second shot clock violation, Ateneo got the job done on the defensive end in the ensuing play, with Newsome intercepting a hand-off pass by FEU guard Achie Inigo to Belo and quickly passed the leather quickly to Ravena, who then split his charities off a Cruz foul for a 67-64 lead with 19.2 ticks to go.
Off a timeout, the Tamaraws refused to go for a riple, with Tolomia opting to drive strong to the lane before issuing a drop pass against a collapsing Blue Eagles defense, eventually leading into a costly turnover-his game-high sixth-that completed their collapse.
The scores:
Ateneo (68) — K. Ravena 23, Newsome 13, Gotladera 9, Pessumal 7, Capacio 6, Babilonia 5, Elorde 3, V. Tolentino 2, Doliguez 0, A. Tolentino 0.
FEU (64) — Belo 16, Pogoy 15, Tolomia 10, Cruz 8, Hargrove 8, Inigo 3, Jose 2, Dennison 2, Tamsi 0, Denila 0, Yu 0.
Quarterscores: 7-12; 18-25; 26-45; 59-59; 68-64 (OT).
