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Fri 29 March 2024

UAAP Season 77: Kiefer shines as Ateneo escapes UE anew

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Ateneo de Manila University got back to the winning track, sweeping its season series against the University of the East (UE), 78-73, in Wednesday’s UAAP Season 77 men’s hoops action at the Mall of Asia Arena.

This season’s scoring leader Kiefer Ravena sank a dagger three-pointer from top of the key with 15 seconds left, against the sticky defense of Red Warrior rookie Emil Palma to extend a precarious one-point lead to four, 76-72.

Ravena finished the game with 16 points and seven assists while sidekick Chris Newsome scored a game high of 23 points on top of three blocks.

Ateneo led the way majority of the game but could only afford leads of only up to seven points as the Warriors were gritty with their usual full court pressure defense.

Halfway in the fourth quarter, the Blue Eagles seemed to be geared in maintaining its lead with a 67-62 cushion but UE’s Roi Sumang scored five straight points with a pull-up trey and a dribble drive in less than ten seconds to tie the game.

It was a trade of baskets since but UE failed in erecting leads of their own as Sumang, Palma, and top scorer Charles Mammie missed point blank shots.

UE could have tied the game at 73 prior to Ravena’s trey but Palma split his free throws.

Up by one, Ateneo’s lead was extended to two possessions after Ravena sank the winning shot off a short dish from Newsome.

The remaining fifteen seconds proved to be too short for the Red Warriors as they rushed their attempts to catch up.

The Blue Eagles now lead the league at 7-2.

The Red Warriors, led by Mammie with 15 points and 18 rebounds, are at sixth place at 4-5.

 

NU sets new record in another Adamson rout

In the first game, National University (NU) continued its domination against the still winless Adamson University, 71-50 and even set a new record with the highest lead in rebounding for a single game.

After a nip-and-tuck first quarter which ended in a slim 18-14 lead by the Bulldogs, NU stepped on the gas defensively, only allowing the Falcons with two points in the second quarter as reserves Nico Javelona and Reden Celda scored six points each in the quarter to sparkplug NU’s run.

“I think the second quarter was very pivotal,” NU coach Eric Altamirano said after the game. “The energy of our starters were low. When the second unit came in, they provided the spark.”

It was all uphill for the Bulldogs, erecting leads by as much as 31.

Gelo Alolino led the Bulldogs with 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists while Glenn Khobuntin chipped in 12 points for the 6-3 Bulldogs.

Adamson was once again bannered by the veteran duo of Don Trollano with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Jansen Rios with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Just like their first meeting for the season last July 30 wherein the Falcons scored an all-time low of 25 points for the entire game, the Falcons afforded 32 rebounds as against the 65 of the Bulldogs, which is the highest gap in rebounding in recent UAAP history.



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