ATENEO's title-retention bid came to a bitter end at the hands of Japan's Hakuoh University, 58-73, in the 2023 World University Basketball Series (WUBS) semifinals at the Yoyogi National Stadium on Saturday.
Ateneo vs Hakuoh University WUBS semis recap
The Blue Eagles have been relegated to the bronze-medal match against Virginia-based U.S. side Radford University.
Ateneo's fight for third place takes place on Sunday, 3 p.m. (local time).
With nearly nothing to separate both teams in the first half, the third frame became a defensive tug-of-war as Hakuoh outscored Ateneo by just eight points to seven.
There was all to play for in the fourth quarter but the reigning UAAP champions were unable to douse the Japanese side's 30-point scoring spree.
Newest Ateneo big man Joseph Obasa's foul trouble woes further added insult to injury for the Katipunan side.
The sudden twist of fate from Friday's 38-point romp over University of Sydney marks the end of Ateneo's back-to-back title hopes in the global tilt.
One of either Chinese Taipei's National Chengchi University or Hakuoh University will be hailed as the new WUBS champs on Sunday, 5:30 p.m.
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