CHICAGO— After slowly fading from the UAAP Season 89 Final Four picture, the Ateneo Blue Eagles jumped back in the race.
The quick turnaround happened on Saturday via a 75-72 takedown of the skidding FEU Tamaraws at the Blue Eagles Gym.
And just like that, the former champs broke even with a 4-4 won-lost record to creep to within two games behind 6-2 co-leaders NU and UP.
Ateneo’s 1-2 punch of Kieffer Alas and Jared Bahay struggled mightily from 3 in the first round of the eliminations, hitting just a combined 24-of-98 attempts for a low 24.4 percent clip.
They righted the ship against FEU, drilling 5-of-10 treys while combining for a total haul of 36 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
BAROMETERS.
When Kieffer and Jared were held to just 21 points in a one-sided 80-68 loss to UST last week, they shot the ball atrociously — 3-of-19 from 3 and 6-of-33 overall.
The rookie and veteran combo is Ateneo’s wind vane. If they play well, the Blue Eagles are likely to win.
Yes, the Ateneo defense is ferocious and unforgiving but at the end of the day, the goal is still to outscore the other team.
Speaking of scoring, this is an element in the game where NU has no problem doing.
The Bulldogs average 78.8 points this season, and aided by 47.7 rebounds and 17 assists per, it’s no surprise why they are on top of the leaderboard alongside the streaking UP Fighting Maroons.
BULL-STRONG.
Adamson bore the full brunt of NU’s bite with a 79-43 beating in the main event of Saturday’s men’s doubleheader.
But here’s what’s most impressive.
The Bulldogs stole the soar out of the Soaring Falcons by holding them to just five points in the second quarter and nine points in the final period.
Since taking over the program in 2020, coach Jeff Napa has led NU to the Final Four three out of five times, particularly Seasons 85, 86, and 88.
But the Bulldogs haven’t made it to the Finals in the Napa era.
Could this be the year?
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