By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles got hit in the face in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball grand finals. And they knew that.
Eager to bounce back and show an improved mentality in Game 2, the Blue Eagles regained their fire and struck back against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 65-55, to force a rubber match last December 14, 2022.
It was a completely different Ateneo team compared to Game 1 as last year’s runner-ups played like champions after dominating on both ends of the floor.
Kai Ballungay was Ateneo’s steady contributor after providing the early spark when he energized the Ateneo crowd with his series of offensive put-back highlights and scrappy defensive plays.
Ateneo’s head coach Tab Baldwin boldly said that they got beaten defensively last game and Ballungay stepped up when his team needed him the most.
The towering power forward made up for his scoreless Game 1 and put up 15 big points built from an insane 7/10 shooting from the field.
It was also Ballungay who injected the early punch for the Blue Eagles after hitting an early three-pointer while following it up with an acrobatic offensive put-back.
The Fighting Maroons had all the offensive firepower to answer every Ateneo basket, thanks to a red-hot Gerry Abadiano, one of the most prolific ballers from Iloilo City.
Abadiano kept the Fighting Maroons within striking distance after unleashing a personal run in the second quarter but Ateneo’s balanced offensive attack was too much for UP came the second half.
Ballungay, Ange Kouame, Dave Ildefonso, and Forthsky Padrigao all produced for the Blue Eagles and never let the Fighting Maroons kick off any comeback.
“We lived to fight another day. Both of these teams, our monickers are something about fighting. Everybody saw what sports fighting is about tonight,” said coach Baldwin.
Both teams will figure in an expected nip-and-tuck Game 3 do-or-die championship game on December 19, Monday, to be held at the Big Dome.
