UAAP: NU finally beats Ateneo, gains solo second

MANILA, Philippines—National University broke a long streak of frustration against Ateneo with a 78-74 win on Wednesday night at the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.

Jolo Manansala came out of his shell, leading the Bulldogs with 17 points and 11 rebounds on top of three assists, two steals and a pair of blocks in a magnificent all-around performance.

Michael Malonzo likewise delivered big, his pair of defensive gems in the dying seconds denying Ateneo’s comeback and preserving Manansala’s heroics that propelled the Bulldogs to their sixth win in nine games for solo second in the standings.

“I just enjoyed the game. I wasn’t looking for points, I just hustled whenever I’m on the floor,” said Manansala after the Bulldogs recovered from a stinging defeat at the hands of the UP Fighting Maroons.

It was a breakthrough triumph for the Bulldogs, who ended a 10-game losing slide versus the Blue Eagles since the first round of the 2016 season.

“At least, we were able to get lucky again. This was an ordinary game for us and we just came out with our A-game tonight,” said NU coach Jeff Napa.

Malonzo blocked Dave Ildefonso’s incursion with 38.3 seconds remaining and later forced Ateneo into a crucial turnover off an inbound pass by BJ Andrade before the Bulldogs finished it off by sinking their freebies.

“I did what I had to do. I have a role to play to help my team,” said Malonzo.

Bryan Andrade had 21 points and was the catalyst during Ateneo’s rise from a double-digit deficit while Kai Balungay added 15 points for the Blue Eagles, who absorbed their third defeat after eight games.

Ange Kouame, last season’s MVP, was limited to two points with few touches and was almost a non-factor throughout, except for his presence inside the paint.

“I always tell them that if they want to become a bigtime player, they have to beat the big boys,” said Napa. “We need to continue working. On Saturday, we face FEU and need to come out strong. They beat us in the first round.’’

The Scores:

NU 78 — Manansala 17, Baclaan 10, Clemente 9, John 8, Yu 6, Minerva 6, Malonzo 5, Enriquez 5, Palacielo 4, Figueroa 3, Galinato 3, Mahinay 2, Tibayan 0, Tulabut 0.

ATENEO 74 — Andrade 21, Ballungay 15, Ildefonso 14, Garcia 6, Koon 4, Lazaro 4, Chiu 3, Gomez 3, Kouame 2, Padrigao 2, Quitevis 0.

Quarters: 14-20, 41-29, 56-57, 78-74.

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