Sweep completed

The 14-0 doesn’t mean a thing if we don’t win it all.

ANGELO Kouame and Ateneo coast to finals after sweeping the eliminations. DAVID JOHN CUBANGBANG

Ateneo de Manila University’s dream season remains flawless.

The Blue Eagles reasserted their mastery of University of the Philippines (UP) after hacking out an 86-64 win to complete a sweep of the elimination round of Season 82 University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament last night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

It was Ateneo’s 14th straight win this season and 24 overall dating back to last season.

The win also gave the Blue Eagles an access pass to the best-of-three finals against the survivor of the stepladder round among University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University and UP.

Angelo Kouame led the charge for the Blue Eagles on both ends with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks while SJ Belangel notched a career-high 14 markers on top of three rebounds.

“The 14-0 doesn’t mean a thing if we don’t win it all. We need to be hungry for more,” graduating Mike Nieto said.

The Fighting Maroons finished the eliminations with a 9-5 mark but still hold the No. 2 spot and the twice-to-beat advantage in the stepladder phase, where they await the winner of the knockout duel between the Growling Tigers and the Tamaraws on 6 November.

“We don’t have a break; for us, its business as usual. We will just prepare for our next opponent, whoever it will be,” said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin as they will be out of action for two weeks for sweeping the elims.

Kobe Paras led UP with 13 points and seven rebounds while reigning Most Valuable Player Bright Akhuetie added 11 markers for UP.

In other final games of the elimination round, University of the East (UE) edged National University (NU), 79-77, while De La Salle University demolished 89-63 Adamson University to end their respective campaigns on a high note.

Jamie Malonzo fired a tournament-high 34 points, highlighted by seven triples, to lead the Green Archers to their seventh win in 14 games for fifth place.

The one-and-done Filipino-American forward also grabbed 12 rebounds while Andrei Caracut had 14 points and six assists in his final game with La Salle.

“Lots of lessons for us. But hats off to these two guys (Malonzo and Caracut) as they really ended their college years well. They’re both leaders and good professionals in our games,” Green Archers head coach Gian Nazario said.

“When the new coaching staff came in, more than just winning, it’s the players’ development that we are really going after.”

Rookie AP Manlapaz finished with a team-high 15 points for the Soaring Falcons, who had their worst season under coach Franz Pumaren with a 4-10 mark.

Rey Suerte, the Red Warriors’ one-and-done star, ended his short but meaningful career with UE with 28 points, six rebounds and three assists while six-foot-nine Senegalese center Alex Diakhite added 17 points and 12 boards to lead their team to a 4-10 finish.

“Let’s give it to the other teams. For now, they are really head-and-shoulder above us,” Red Warriors active consultant Lawrence Chongson said.

“This win, in some way, added for whatever purposes it may serve. This win added flavor to their story,” he added, referring to Suerte, Philip Manalang, Jed Mendoza and Nick Abanto who all played their final game yesterday.

UE rallied from 10 points down, 37-47, and banked on the hot shooting hands of Suerte to take a 76-74 lead with 20.2 seconds left in the game. Manalang sealed the win with a split free throws.

“At least, we will part ways with smiles on our face. Our exit, somehow, is not that woeful,” Chongson said.

Dave Ildefonso and JV Gallego had 20 points apiece for NU, which ended last in the tournament with a 2-10 record.