Warriors hand Blue Eagles another loss
To be a champion, you have to beat the defending champion.
University of the East squandered a big 15-point lead in the third canto but recovered its bearings just in time to eke out a thrilling 72-68 win over five-time defending champion Ateneo Wednesday and stop a two-game slide in the UAAP Season 76 men’s basketball action at the MOA Arena.
Reeling from two straight setbacks including a 77-68 defeat against University of Santo Tomas last Saturday, the Red Warriors appeared headed for a cruise when they posted a hefty 46-31 cushion but still needed clutch plays from prized import Charles Mammie and Roi Sumang to hold off the hard-fighting Blue Eagles.
Returning from a one-game suspension, the 6-foot-7 Mammie threw his full weight around the paint with career-highs of 20 points and 23 rebounds while the 5-foot-8 Sumang added 14 markers, including a crucial lay-up, that enabled UE to improve its record to 2-3.
Skipper Juami Tiongson sparked Ateneo’s second-half onslaught, firing away four big triples in the third canto, but fouled out off an offensive charge against UE defender Adi Santos with 1:06 to play, leaving his teammates in disarray at the critical juncture.
The loss was the fourth overall in five starts for the Blue Eagles, who failed to gain a fitting follow-up to a 71-59 win over host Adamson last Sunday.
Star guard Kiefer Ravena, playing for the second straight game since sitting out two matches, tallied six of his 11 points in the fourth but still couldn’t bail Ateneo out.
The Main Man: Charles Mammie has proven how valuable he is to the Red Warriors’ bid.
Forced to sit out their match against the Tigers for incurring two unsportsmanlike fouls, the 6-foot-7 African native proved too much too handle for the banged-up Blue Eagles with a monstrous 20-20 outing.
More importantly, Mammie canned six of his 10 attempts from the charity stripe, including a pair off a Frank Golla foul that virtually pegged the final count with 17.2 ticks left.
Honorable Mention: While star guard Roi Sumang had a fairly quiet game, second-year guard Dan Alberto arguable played his finest outing this season.
Usually fielded in during “garbage time,” the second-year guard showed he has what it takes, firing away 14 points–eight coming in the second canto–while emerging as an instant offense off the bench for the Red Warriors. The 5-foot-10 guard also did a decent job defending Ateneo stars Juami Tiongson and Kiefer Ravena.
Game Turning Point: The victory looked already in the bag for the Red Warriors when they posted a 15-point lead early in the third canto but Tiongson provided the needed spark for the Blue Eagles, who uncorked a big 23-8 exchange that tied the game at 54-apeice going to the final 10 minutes.
Ateneo even led 63-60 off Ravena’s five straight points and was still ahead by a solitary point courtesy of a Frank Golla jumper with 1:22 to go.
UE, however, reclaimed off a JM Noble lay-up then Sumang extended their lead to 70-67 off a scoop lay-up with 47.1 seconds to play.
In the ensuing play, Ravena cut the deficit to two off a split from the line then Mammie, corralling a big offensive rebound after a Sumang miss, got fouled by Golla and made his two free throws, pegging the final tally with 17.2 seconds left.
Ateneo had four chances, two each by Ravena and rookie Chris Newsome, at the basket but all attempts failed to drop.
He Said It:
UE coach Boycie Zamar: “I have to be very consistent that we have to learn from the champion. I told the boys, if you want to learn from this Ateneo team, they are not a five-time champion for nothing. We learned so much from them in this game. It’s all about mental toughness. Nung nakahabol ang Ateneo, na-deflate ang egos nila. But they woke up at the right time. They have to bring their combat shoes. UAAP is a long journey. Kailangan kaming magsapatos ng tama.”
The scores:
UE (72) – Mammie 20, Sumang 14, Alberto 14, Casajeros 8, Noble 7, Olivares 5, Santos 2, Javier 2, Olayon 0, Sumido 0, Jumao-as 0, Guion 0.
Ateneo (68) – Tiongson 17, Pessumal 12, Ravena 11, Newsome 10, Elorde 5, Golla 4, Buenafe 0, Erram 3, Asuncion 2, Tolentino 0, Lim 0, Enriquez 0, Capacio 0.
Quarterscores: 18-12, 37-31, 54-54, 72-68.
