Unbeaten Eagles claw winless Tigers

Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

2 p.m. – UE vs FEU

4 p.m. – UP vs AdU

MANILA, Philippines — From Thirdy Ravena’s vicious tomahawk slam from just inside the freethrow line to sub Troy Mallilin’s own highlight reel, high-flying Ateneo showed it’s heads and shoulders above a hard-working but wanting Santo Tomas in yesterday’s top-versus-bottom UAAP men’s basketball duel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles stamped their class in a 102-83 rout and at 12-0, stood two wins shy of sweeping the 14-game elims and clinching an outright finals stint. Inversely, the Tigers reeled to their 13th straight loss, one away from a dubious winless season never before experienced by one of the league’s winningest teams.

La Salle put a lock on a Top 2 seeding and in the next round with an emphatic 101-76 drubbing of National U in the second game.

Powered by Ben Mbala’s 30 points, the Archers stretched their streak to six games and went 11-2 overall, thereby guaranteeing themselves the  twice-to-beat in the playoffs, while sending the Bulldogs (4-8) to the brink.

Despite the lopsided margin, AdMU assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga maintained it wasn’t the easiest of victories. 

After seizing a 16-point tear, the Eagles somehow let their guard down and allowed the Tigers to threaten to within five at the end of the third.

Come the fourth, it was business as usual for the league leaders, who opened the final canto with a 17-7 tear highlighted by Ravena’s jaw-dropping throwdown off a feed by Chiz Ikeh, restoring a 92-77 cushion.

Notes: La Salle star Ben Mbala, a “key player” for the Cameroon national team, said he was giving priority to the Green Archers over his country’s campaign in the Fiba World Cup Qualifiers. The Africa leg of the qualifiers begins Nov. 24, which will run smack into the finals of the UAAP. “I won’t be suiting up for my country because my priority is La Salle,” he said…Wonder what Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena was expressing when he flashed three fingers to celebrate his highlight dunk? “May bet kami ng Dad ko, bibigyan niya ako ng P3,000 pag nag-dunk sa game (My Dad and I have a bet; he’ll give me P3,000 for every dunk),” said Ravena, referring to his father, former PBA star Bong.

The scores:

First Game

AdMU 102 – Ravena 20, Ma. Nieto 19, Mamuyac 8, Go 7, Malilin 7, Mi. Nieto 7, Tio 7, Asistio 6, Black 6. Verano 6, Ikeh 5, Tolentino 4, Andrade 0, Porter 0, White 0.

UST 83 – De Guzman 19, Sta. Ana 12, Akomo 12, Basibas 11, Faundo 11, Garcia 8, Caunan 6, Lee 4, Romero 0, Kwawukumey 0, Escalambre 0, Lorenzana 0, Soriano 0, Macasaet 0.

Quarterscores: 26-20, 49-39, 75-70, 102-83

Second Game

DLSU 101 – Mbala 30, R. Rivero 16, Santillan 9, Go 8, Montalbo 8, Caracut 7, Melecio 5, Paraiso 5, Tratter 5, Baltazar 4, P. Rivero 2, Tero 2, Capacio 0, Gonzales 0.

NU 76 – Joson 20, Alejandro 20, Gaye 12, Lastimosa 5, Diputado 4, Rangel 4, Aquino 3, Mosqueda 2, Yu 2, Bartlett 2. Tibayan 2 Morido 0, Abatayo 0, Cauilan 0, Flores 0.

Quarterscores: 26-20, 47-35, 73-57, 101-76