ATENEO aims for an early lead as it battles the University of the East on Wednesday in the UAAP Season 88 collegiate men’s basketball tournament at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena.
Led by sophomore Jared Bahay and the one-and-done trio of Kymani Lani, Dom Escobar, and Jadem Lazo, the Blue Eagles are determined to reclaim their place among the league’s elite after finishing eighth last year.
Still, coach Tab Baldwin knows Ateneo remains a work in progress, especially after barely escaping Far Eastern University, 86-83, in overtime in last Saturday’s opener.
“We should have won that game in regulation, and it wasn’t a smart play. You should be asking why Shawn Tuano drove to the rim against (Mo) Konateh when we know he’s a great shot blocker, with Divine (Adili) wide open in the paint. Or why, already at 3-of-6 from the free throw line, he still got the inbounds pass instead of giving it back to Kymani, who was perfect from the line. Those are the questions about this team’s future,” Baldwin said.
“We’ve got to grow up. We’ve got to mature. Mistakes like that can cost us games we’ve already played well enough to win—and a championship team can’t afford that. La Salle won’t make those mistakes. If we want to be slugging it out with the top teams and not just showing up to the party, then we need to learn fast. We’re still young, but these are talented players. I’m excited about them,” he added.
The Blue Eagles look to put together a sharper performance in their 2 p.m. clash against the Red Warriors, who struggled in their first outing under new coach Chris Gavina.
UE bowed to National University’s stifling defense, 57-72, last Sunday, a loss that gave Gavina a tough welcome to the collegiate scene.
“From today’s game, we just have to go back to the drawing board and see what worked in the first half, when we were able to keep pace with NU, a very well-coached team. I feel like the third quarter was where our downfall began. At the end of the day, I make the decisions on rotations, and I just need to find the right synergy of players moving forward as we prepare for Ateneo,” Gavina said.
Top gunner Wello Lingolingo struggled with only four points on 2-of-9 shooting. He will need to bounce back and provide stronger support for Precious Momowei, John Abate, and newcomer Mo Tañedo.
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines hopes its short two-day turnaround will be enough to recover from a stinging 67-87 loss to the University of Santo Tomas when it faces Adamson University at 4:30 p.m.
The Growling Tigers handed the Fighting Maroons their worst opening-weekend defeat in 11 years, ending a nine-game losing streak against their Diliman rivals in a rematch of last season’s Final Four.
The last time UP suffered such a lopsided debut was on July 12, 2014, when it absorbed a 59-87 beating from UE during its infamous 27-game losing streak.
It was also coach Goldwin Monteverde’s first opening-weekend loss since debuting with UP in UAAP Season 84 (2022), when the Fighting Maroons fell to the Blue Eagles, 81-90, in the league’s return from a two-year pandemic hiatus.
“Every game, our goal is always to win. Of course, this isn’t the kind of start we wanted, but we need to deal with the next challenge. That’s how it goes,” Monteverde said.
“Life goes on. After this loss, there are more games ahead, and we need to prepare well despite the short turnaround. We won’t dwell on the frustration; what matters is our preparation for the next game. That’s life—you move forward,” he added.
For the Fighting Maroons to avoid a 0-2 hole, they must elevate their offense after managing just 67 points against UST. Harold Alarcon, for instance, struggled with a 4-of-16 shooting clip.
Coach Nash Racela, however, emphasized that Adamson is aiming for more than moral victories after its narrow 58-60 loss to La Salle last Saturday.
“We don’t want to settle for just competing with stronger teams. We wanted that win. We’ll make adjustments moving forward,” Racela said.
“To be honest, the challenge this year is to remain tough defensively. Last year we were No. 1 in defense, but we lost guys like (Joshua) Yerro, (Jhon) Calisay, (Eli) Ramos, and (Mario) Barasi—our key defenders. This year, we’ve seen improvements on offense, but defensively we need to grow even more,” he added.
Collegiate women’s action also opens today, with Kacey dela Rosa leading Ateneo against UE, now coached by Ian Valdez, at 12 noon. UP takes on Adamson at 7 p.m., where the Lady Falcons will unveil new coach Jed Colonia.
In the 16-and-under boys’ division, Adamson shoots for a second straight win against UP Integrated School at 9:30 a.m., following the 7:30 a.m. clash between defending champion UE and Ateneo.
UAAP games will air on the Pilipinas Live app, One Sports, and the Varsity Channel.
