Blue Eagles score breakthrough win

Ateneo de Manila University finally broke through, turning homecourt advantage into its first win of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 16U high school basketball tournament with a 100-80 victory over University of the Philippines Integrated School on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Blue Eagles, who lost to their Katipunan rivals on a game-winning triple in their first-round meeting, exacted revenge and snapped their winless start to the season.

The victory also offered Ateneo a measure of redemption after its 34-77 blowout loss to Far Eastern University-Diliman last Thursday.

“We’re so blessed. Breaks went our way. These guys—they were the ones who made it happen. They worked hard for it. Even in practice yesterday, so it started there, we just translated it into the game,” Ateneo head coach Jeff Mangubat said.

Ateneo broke away in the second quarter, capitalizing on UPIS’ shooting woes and attacking the paint for easy baskets to take a comfortable 55-37 lead into halftime.

Led by Jayden Ylen, the Blue Eagles extended their advantage to 23 points in the third quarter, unleashing a 14-3 run with three minutes remaining in the period.

The Fighting Maroons, however, mounted a comeback in the final canto, trimming the deficit to single digits midway through the fourth quarter.

Despite UPIS’ late surge, Ateneo remained composed, limiting its opponents to just two points in the final five minutes as the Blue Eagles sealed the victory with a decisive 15-2 run.

“Well, it was really exciting. I was really looking forward to this. Going into a home game especially against a rival, I really wanted to get this win. So it was really an important game for me,” said Ylen, who delivered an all-around performance with 22 points, seven rebounds, six steals, and five assists.

Diego Nuque-Bautista also scored 22 points on an efficient 10-of-13 shooting clip, adding five rebounds and four steals.

Chris Llavore came close to a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Karl Gandionco chipped in 11 points.

The Blue Eagles capitalized on UPIS’ 35 turnovers, scoring 42 points off their opponents’ miscues.

Ateneo’s depth also proved crucial, as its bench outscored the Fighting Maroons’ reserves, 37-5.

Zandro Lugatiman paced UPIS with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort. Pedro Santos also posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Hubert Bautista nearly joined them in recording a double-double, finishing with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Dominic Labao added 10 points and six rebounds.