Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — It wasn’t pretty, but the Ateneo Blue Eagles did enough to get one over the UP Fighting Maroons, 56-43, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) on Wednesday (September 30) at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Von Pessumal and Kiefer Ravena led the Blue Eagles with 11 points each.
Both Ateneo and UP found it hard to find the bottom of the net with each team shooting at 30.77 and 24.36 percent, respectively.
The Blue Eagles held UP to just one point in the second quarter until the 3:20 mark as they rushed to a 36-17 lead at the half.
UP started the second half brightly, but failed to manufacture a run of its own to overturn the Ateneo advantage.
Unlike their previous game against UST, the Blue Eagles maintained their composure to come away with the victory.
A key factor in the Katipunan-based side’s win was preventing UP hotshot Jett Manuel from scoring in the entire game, something that Ravena took much pride in.
“Jett is a very capable scorer, so coming into the game I was really watching his highlights,” said Ravena. “I made it a conscious effort, along with the other guys who would be matched up with Jett, to focus on Jett himself.”
“We don’t want a scorer to get his groove.”
Andres Desiderio paced the Fighting Maroons with 12 markers.
Both Ateneo and UP will play their final games of the first round on Sunday (October 4) at the Mall of Asia Arena against Adamson and La Salle, respectively.
