By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Ateneo Blue Eagles continued their magical season run after prevailing over the tough University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 76-63, in the ongoing UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball tournament.
Despite the long holy week break, the Blue Eagles came out waxing-hot and torched the Red Warriors’ defense for four quarters.
BJ Andrade was a man on a mission after leading the Blue Eagles with 19 huge points including five drained three-pointers.
Aside from Andrade’s hot-shooting, SJ Belangel was also unstoppable after dropping 13 points, two steals, and two assists while Ange Kouame added 14 points and 15 rebounds.
However, just when Ateneo was continuing their hot offense, UE responded with a huge offensive run which forced head coach Tab Baldwin to call a quick timeout.
“UE and Coach Jamike always play a spoiling role. We did enough to win but we’re not happy with the efficiency of our offense,” said Baldwin.
The Red Warriors continued to fight until the third quarter but Ateneo’s signature crisp motion offense picked them apart once again.
Nico Paranada attempted to cut the lead into single digits but Ateneo’s excellent defensive communication erased their hopes of any comeback.
The huge win awarded the Blue Eagles with their 35th straight UAAP win and are looking to end the season as the only team to have back-to-back undefeated runs in the collegiate scene.
