ATENEO de Manila University maintained its grip on fourth place in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament by dispatching University of the Philippines, 75-66, in a rivalry match on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Blue Eagles once again leaned on the brilliance of reigning MVP Kacey dela Rosa, who nearly tallied a 20-20 outing with 28 points and 19 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season to go along with five blocks, two assists, and two steals.
Ateneo improved their record to 6-5, creating a comfortable two-and-a-half game cushion of the Fighting Maroons, who now sit at 3-7 with four games remaining in the elimination round.
With UP’s seventh defeat, Adamson University officially secured the third Final Four ticket in the women’s division, marking the Lady Falcons’ return to the postseason for the first time since Season 82 (2019).
“A win is a win. We try to focus on what we can control. For us, the target is to win three of the last four, and we got two wins now. Hopefully, we can start getting a little bit of momentum,” Ateneo head coach LA Mumar said. “We were terrible today; I’m happy with the win, don’t get me wrong, but hopefully we can polish some things moving forward.”
Kaye Pesquera gave UP a brief lead in the fourth quarter with an inside shot, making it 48-47. However, Ateneo responded with a decisive 16-3 run, powered by contributions from Gracie Batongbakal, Sarah Makanjoula, Kai Oani, and Dela Rosa, stretching their advantage to 63-51 with 6:25 left on the clock.
Though UP narrowed the gap with a Louna Ozar three-pointer, a layup from Alexandra Mendoza, and another triple from Pesquera, bringing the score to 63-60, Ateneo quickly regrouped. The Blue Eagles scored eight consecutive points, pushing their lead to 71-60 and securing their sixth victory in 11 outings.
This win also reinforced Ateneo’s dominance over their Katipunan rivals, having previously defeated the Fighting Maroons convincingly, 79-68, in their first-round opener on September 8.
“We’re very fortunate to win the game. A win is a win. You have to credit UP, they came up with a great game plan against us. They really prepared for us. They really triggered our weaknesses, so we have to learn from this,” Mumar added.
Season 86 Mythical Five member Junize Calago contributed 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one block but committed 10 turnovers, while Oani chipped in nine points, six assists, and two rebounds.
Batongbakal enjoyed an efficient outing with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting to go along with six rebounds and an assist, while Makanjoula contributed eight points, four rebounds, three blocks, one assist, and one steal.
Looking ahead, Ateneo aims to secure its third straight victory against a struggling Far Eastern University team on Saturday, November 9, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Pesquera paced the Fighting Maroons in the losing effort with 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals, while Ozar tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
Shanina Tapawan scored 10 points on 66.7-percent from the field to go along with four rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Mendoza chipped in five points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Meanwhile, UP will fight to keep its slim Final Four hopes alive in a matchup against the undefeated National University on Sunday, November 3, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Games on Sunday
(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion)
8 a.m. – NUNS vs UE (JHS)
10 a.m. – FEU vs UE (Women)
12 p.m. – FEU vs UE (Men)
3:30 p.m. – UP vs NU (Men)
6:30 p.m. – UP vs NU (Women)
