Ateneo ends the first round on a sweep, escaping with a 76-75 victory against their chief rivals La Salle in the penultimate match of the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament first round on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Matt Nieto was the hero for the Blue Eagles, stealing the ball off the inbound, then sinking two clutch free throws with 3.9 seconds to go to give Ateneo the lead. He would finish the game with a team-high 16 points.
Anton Asistio and Jolo Mendoza with some contributions as well with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Most of them came in the first quarter, as they got hot from beyond the arc.
Ateneo led by as many as 14 in the 2nd qtr before the Green Archers slowly chopped at the deficit. They would eventually take the lead as late as the final minute, with Ben Mbala converting two free throws to give them the lead, 75-74, with 63 seconds left.
La Salle had a chance to win on the final play, as Mbala received the inbound pass and then drove to the basket, but he lost control of the ball. Kib Montalbo would throw a desperation shot and missed as the buzzer sound, giving the Blue Eagles the first round sweep.
Ricci Rivero led the way for the Archers with 19 points on 9-11 shooting. Mbala added 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Even with the loss, they still in second in the standings with 5-2 record, and will look to bounce back on Wednesday, as they start their second round campaign against Far Eastern University at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. (c/o Kim Karlo Castro)
Matt Nieto was the hero for the Blue Eagles, stealing the ball off the inbound, then sinking two clutch free throws with 3.9 seconds to go to give Ateneo the lead. He would finish the game with a team-high 16 points.
Anton Asistio and Jolo Mendoza with some contributions as well with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Most of them came in the first quarter, as they got hot from beyond the arc.
Ateneo led by as many as 14 in the 2nd qtr before the Green Archers slowly chopped at the deficit. They would eventually take the lead as late as the final minute, with Ben Mbala converting two free throws to give them the lead, 75-74, with 63 seconds left.
La Salle had a chance to win on the final play, as Mbala received the inbound pass and then drove to the basket, but he lost control of the ball. Kib Montalbo would throw a desperation shot and missed as the buzzer sound, giving the Blue Eagles the first round sweep.
Ricci Rivero led the way for the Archers with 19 points on 9-11 shooting. Mbala added 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Even with the loss, they still in second in the standings with 5-2 record, and will look to bounce back on Wednesday, as they start their second round campaign against Far Eastern University at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. (c/o Kim Karlo Castro)
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