Ateneo Blue Eagles looking for sweep of first round in UAAP Season 82, to face streaking UP Fighting Maroons

The Ateneo Blue Eagles will be seeking a sweep of the first round when they take on the surging University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, September 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Toting an unblemished 6-0 win-loss record, the reigning champions are looking to reassert its mastery of its cross-street rivals, which they trumped in the finals last season.

Ateneo’s latest victory came at the expense of the University of the East Red Warriors, which it blew away, 85-68.  Versatile big man Angelo Kouame had his way inside with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks while Thirdy Ravena and Adrian Wong contributed 15 and 11 points, respectively.

The Blue Eagles victory came thanks to a spirited effort in the third period where they scored 35 points, one more than their entire output in the first half.

“The third quarter was the kind effort I want to see in the team all the time. They played with some fire, some determination. I think in the third quarter we figured that out. We began to play with assertiveness. I think for us when we’re assertive, effectiveness comes with that so we can’t be passive, we can’t be tentative,” said head coach Tab Baldwin during the postgame huddle.

Standing opposite Ateneo is a UP team that has won four games in a row, including a thrilling 72-71 win over the De La Salle University last Wednesday, a win made possible by a huge three-pointer by Juan Gomez de Liano with just seven seconds to go in that game.

“It’ll be really interesting to see that game. All of us are still trying to prove who we are at this point. Maybe it will have a playoff-type atmosphere. But for us, we will approach it as just the next game. We’ll go out and play good basketball,” said Baldwin of their next match.