And then there was one. The Ateneo Blue Eagles addressed their knack for bad starts as they matched the early firepower by the UST Growling Tigers and then when they finally settled down the team went on to a rampage that the Tigers had a hard time coming back from. The result was a 93-77 massacre that gave the Blue Eagles a 3-0 win -loss card and solo leadership in the 72nd season of the UAAP. This is the same start that the Blue Eagles had last year which is an premonition of what to expect at the end of the year.
The Blue Eagles fought tooth and nail with the Tigers in the first quarter as both teams sized each other up. Rabah Al- Husaini started strong as he nailed a jumper and scored six more points inside as he scored at will to give the Blue Eagles a strong presence in the early going which was not present in the two previous games where they trailed 0 - 8 against FEU and 23-11 against UE. Rabah showed the UST team what was going to happen.
With the game tied at 16 - all Ryan Buenafe took matters into his own hands as he scored on a three, off a steal and a jumper to give the Blue Eagles a 30 -21 first quarter lead that they never relinquished. As usual, his co SSC Alum Eric Salamat was there all game long as each both scored 14 points to give the Ateneans something to be happy about. Both Salamat and Buenafe also helped out Nonoy Baclao on defense as they covered their men well which resulted in steals and fastbreak points.
Talking about Rabah, Eric and Ryan is just one side of the coin because the Blue Eagle that really stepped up in this game is the team's last addtion from their Team B roster, Eman Monfort. Eman made up for the subpar game of starting point guard Jai Reyes. Monfort scored 20 points, hauled down 5 rebounds and came up with 2 assists as well. What???5 rebounds from the smallest guy on the court? Eman the mighty mite who is listed as 5'6 but looks more like 5'5 to me sank 6 three pointers as he kept the hot shooting Ateneans on track!
The rest of the team saw action for the first time with rookies Juami Tiongson scoring 7 points, Frank Golla 2 points and Chris de Chavez netted 2 more. The bench was solid with Nico Salva leading the way with 8 points. Salva is slowly gaining the confidence of Ateneo followers as the future of the team with his tenacity and solid play. Next stop, the UP Maroons..let the massacre begin.
ATENEO 93
Monfort 20, Salamat 14, Buenafe 14, Al-Husaini 13, Salva 8, Tiongson 7, Long 7, Baclao 4, Golla 2, de Chavez 2, Chua 2, Sumalinog 0, Reyes 0, Gonzaga 0, Burke 0, Austria 0
UST 77
Maliksi 20, Ababou 17, Mirza 13, Teng 6, Bautista 6, Afuang 5, Mariano 4, Green 2, Fortuna 2 Camus 2, Ungria 0, Feliz 0, Cam 0
Quarter scores 30 -21 , 52-35, 68 -49, 93 -77
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