Five in a row for Ateneo as Tiongson shines
Things continue to go the way of reigning five-time titlist Ateneo. The same thing, however, can’t be said of struggling Far Eastern University.
The Blue Eagles gave the surprisingly listless Tamaraws crew a perfect dose of their own medicine Wednesday, cruising to a convincing 92-73 victory that gave them a share of fourth spot in UAAP Season 76 men’s cage action at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Veteran playmaker Juami Tiongson sizzled with 20 points, spiked by three triples, while five other teammates churned in at least nine markers as Ateneo notched its fifth straight victory and sixth overall in 10 outings, tying idle archrival La Salle.
Aside from avenging a stinging 75-79 overtime defeat in their initial meeting last July 3, the Blue Eagles also slapped the Tamaraws their third loss in their last four outings as they fell to an 8-3 mark. FEU, which was coming off a lung-busting 98-94 win in double overtime against University of the East last Sunday, struggled throughout against Ateneo’s tenacious defense, shooting just 34.6 percent (27-of-78) from the field.
Terrence Romeo topscored for the Tams with 19 points but went 7-of-24 from the field.
The Main Man: Juami Tiongson led the team in scoring but it was prized guard Kiefer Ravena who made most of the damage.
The shifty guard sparkled anew with 18 points, eight coming in their 26-point explosion in the first canto, on top of nine rebounds, five assists and a steal.
Ravena also put the clamps down on FEU counterparts Terrence Romeo and RR Garcia, who combined for just 30 points on 11-of-34 shooting.
Honorable Mentions: Tiongson provided the stability by coming through with 16 big points in the middle quarters.
Athletic wingman Chris Newsome also shone for the Blue Eagles with a double-double outing of 11 points and 14 rebounds while doing a splendid job hounding the Tamaraws' top guns.
Game Turning Point: After Anthony Hargrove scored the opening basket, Ravena and the Blue Eagles went on a big tear, scoring 26 of the next 30 points for a quick 18-point bubble.
Ateneo continued to pour it on in the next 20 minutes, leading by as many as 73-40 off a Vince Tolentino lay-up as FEU failed to make any headway.
They Said It:
Ateneo coach Bo Perasol: “The significance of this win is that we were able to go in the top four now and tie La Salle. It’s not about the lead but the necessity to win. They responded well and I hope we can carry this momentum against a very tough team in La Salle on Sunday. I have to commend Juami and the others for stepping up and having a spectacular offensive play.”
Ateneo guard Juami Tiongson: “Coach Bo is coaching with a minor surgery. He can be resting right now but he still chooses to coach for us. Our real reason why we want to win this game is coach Bo.”
The scores:
Ateneo (92) – Tiongson 20, Ravena 18, Newsome 11, Tolentino 9, Golla 9, Buenafe 9, Pessumal 5, Elorde 5, Capacio 4, Erram 2, Murphy 0, Enriquez 0, Asuncion 0, Asistio 0.
FEU (73) – Romeo 19, Garcia 11, Tolomia 9, Pogoy 9, Hargrove 6, Belo 6, Jose 5, Inigo 3, Cruz 3, Lee Yu 2, Sentcheu 0, Mendoza 0, Luz 0, Dennision 0, Delfinado 0, Aguilon 0. Quarterscores: 2611, 51-28, 73-45, 92-73.
