Blue Eagles stay in hunt for four-peat  

MANILA, Philippines — Three-time reigning champion Ateneo stared at another near collapse but survived, 69-66, to spoil the gritty University of the Philippines’ coronation and keep its own goal alive in the UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball finals last night at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The Blue Eagles squandered a huge 15-point lead in the third quarter before banking on their championship pedigree in the clutch to force a winner-take-all Game 3 tomorrow.

Season Most Valuable Player Ange Kouame came to the rescue, delivering a near triple-double job with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks as the Blue Eagles stayed in the hunt for a fourth straight crown.

Tyler Tio (14) and Dave Ildefonso (10) added double-figure efforts while Gian Mamuyac (7) and SJ Belangel (6) came through with crucial steals in the last minute to steady Ateneo’s sinking ship amidst another UP fightback.

“This series feels like a La Salle series. It doesn’t feel like college basketball. It feels like there’s something else at stake,” said coach Tab Baldwin as the “Battle of Katipunan” went down the wire anew for the third time this season before 13,521 fans.

“Tonight, we responded and we did the job in key statistical categories. Everything else in the stat sheet looks good for us,” he added against the no-quit UP going all-out in a bid to end its 36-year title drought.

Having enough at the losing end of Katipunan thrillers against UP all-season long, Ateneo appeared headed to a blowout win after a strong 37-28 first half.

The Eagles then sat on a 45-30 cushion midway through the third period. But they had to steady themselves to fend off the Maroons at the finish.

, like another déjà vu in epic films after losing 84-83 in the last game of the elims to miss out on a 14-0 sweep nd 81-74 in overtime of Game 1, allowed another uprising by the Fighting Maroons.

Led by Rookie of the Year Carl Tamayo, UP rose from the ashes once again with a blistering 27-11 barrage highlighted by his booming trey for a sudden 57-56 lead with still 5:03 to go.

Both squads traded blows from there on with UP still clinging to a 61-60 lead before Kouame inside with Mamuyac and Belangel on the perimeter unleashed their own fangs to give the Fighting Maroons’ a dose of their own defensive medicine for a 65-61 separation.

Ateneo had a total of 16 steals and 10 blocks marked by PBA Rookie Draft hopeful Mamuyac’s crucial strip in the last 48 seconds for a 69-63 lead that pretty much delivered the final blow on UP.

Rivero answered, the Fighting Maroons got a stop for a slim chance but he wasted a lot of time before splitting from the line for the final count.

Also a Mythical Five member, Tamayo put up a fight with 18 points, 12 rebounds and two steals while Rivero had 16 in the big loss of UP that could have ended their long championship drought and the Ateneo dynasty.