THE ARROWS couldn’t pierce through the surging eagles, as the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles outplayed the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers in the first rivalry Game of UAAP Season 88.
If Ateneo wasn’t on your radar as a top contender before the season, now might be the time to take notice, as they showed they’re the real deal by taking down long-time rivals La Salle, 81-74, on Sunday.
Before a crowd of 17,000 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, the Katipunan squad sent a strong message, stretching their run as the only undefeated team and improving to a 4-0 win-loss record.
With this impressive showing, the Blue Eagles have already matched their total number of wins from Season 87, a year where they finished at the bottom of the men’s basketball tournament standings.
Eagles Take Flight
Ateneo came out firing with unmatched intensity, racing to an early 11-2 lead. Though La Salle managed to level the score at 11-all, Dominic Escobar hits a stepback three to close the first quarter at 14-11 in Ateneo’s favor.
Fueled by Escobar’s hot start, the Blue Eagles built on their early momentum. The one-and-done wingman dropped eight of his 15 first-half points in the second quarter, helping extend the lead to 36-19 by halftime.
Just when the Taft squad thought they’re about to weather the storm, the Katipunan side surged ahead by as much as 33 points late in the third quarter, heading into the final period with a commanding 68-38 lead.
The lead may have given Ateneo a seemingly comfortable cushion, but La Salle’s heart and grit in this storied rivalry could never be underestimated — nearly pulling off one of the most improbable comebacks the league has seen.
Late Taft Rally Falls Short
With no Kevin Quiambao available to bail them out this time, and as the Green Archers continued to search for a reliable closer, the lead that Ateneo had built seemed increasingly insurmountable.
Still, La Salle mounted a fiery comeback, sparked by Mason Amos, Mike Phillips, EJ Gollena, and Kean Baclaan, erupting with a 19-0 run to start the final quarter and trimming the deficit to just 11, 57-68, with 4:03 left.
Crucial baskets from Gollena, Phillips, and Jacob Cortez brought the Green Archers within five, 72-77, with 30.4 seconds remaining — the final point coming off a putback from their captain after Amos missed a three.
The free throws from Andrew Bongo and Shawn Tuano sealed the win for Ateneo, fending off a La Salle surge that saw them drop 36 points in the fourth — nearly matching their 38 from the first three quarters combined.
Work Far from Over
Despite the statement win, Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin downplayed the victory, stressing that there’s still plenty of work to be done — especially after allowing their archrivals to nearly flip the script late in the game.
“I think we have a choice to talk about three quarters of basketball or one quarter, and we’ll do both in the confines of our dugout and our next practice,” Baldwin said during the post-game press conference.
“We’ll talk about that the way we played in the three quarters is just about as good as an Ateneo team has played for me, I think, and that’s a big statement.”
“And then in the fourth quarter, we played about as badly as an Ateneo team has played for me. Fortunately, it was only one quarter,” the decorated American-Kiwi head coach went on to say.
Taking Responsibility
On the other end, team captain Mike Phillips knows that much of the blame for the loss would likely fall on head coach Topex Robinson, who’s guiding a squad without its former cornerstone.
Still, the versatile 6-foot-8 big man stepped up to shoulder the criticism himself, expressing his willingness to take the heat for Robinson — recognizing how important his leadership should be in moments like this.
“They had every single corner, every single player, every single play ready, and we really were locked in in practice. For me, as the leader of the team, its really a two-way street, and actually, its kind of frustrating,” he said.
“Coach is probably going to get a lot of heat, probably going to get a lot of blame, but I really feel like it starts from me because I’ve been in those situations before where the pressure is on, and I feel like I didn’t do my job as the captain,” he added.
Onto the Next Battle
Kymani Ladi and Escobar both tallied 15 points and nine rebounds, while Shawn Tuano matched their scoring output with 15 of his own — nine of which came during Ateneo’s critical fourth-quarter stand.
On the other side, Phillips led the Green Archers with a monster stat line: 17 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block. Baclaan added 13 points and seven boards, while Jacob Cortez chipped in with 10 points.
Ateneo continues its tough three-game stretch with a high-stakes clash against defending champions UP Fighting Maroons in the much-anticipated “Battle of Katipunan” on Wednesday at the same Pasay venue.
As for La Salle, they’ll take advantage of a full week to rest, regroup, and make necessary adjustments before aiming for redemption next Sunday against the NU Bulldogs at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
