WITH a chance to send the game into overtime, Ateneo rookie Tyler Tio missed the second of three free throws with no time left to hand the win to University of Perpetual Help, 60-59, and deny the Blue Eagles an outright semifinals berth in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup.
The Altas led for much of the game, holding off Ateneo that suffered through a poor shooting and error-filed game on Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
The Blue Eagles only came alive in the last period when they hit five consecutive three-pointers to wipe out a 36-48 third-period deficit and take the lead, 53-50, on the last of Mike Nieto’s three triples.
In the face of a renewed Ateneo fervor, the Altas didn’t capitulate as Prine Eze and Flash Sadiwa scored five unanswered points for a 55-53 count.
Both sides traded points and after a Chibueze Ikeh bucket for Ateneo—he missed the and-one—to level the match at 57-all, Sadiwa, a fifth-year swingman, scored and split his charities.
With almost no time left on the game clock, Altas guard Robert Clement fouled Tio in the act of shooting a three. Tio only made two to send the Altas to their third win in nine outings.
After their stirring triumph over De La Salle last Sunday and their close encounter with Jose Rizal University on Monday, the Blue Eagles came out firing blanks and looking listless until their fourth-quarter awakening.
With the loss, Ateneo now has to defeat pace-setting San Beda on Friday to qualify for the quarterfinals. Should they go on to lose that match as well, De La Salle will qualify for the second round of the tourney.
Prince Eze had his way inside the lane against Ateneo’s feeble big men to score 18 points, while Sadiwa backed him up with 17 points.
Mike Nieto was the sole Atenean in double figures with 14 points, as his team connected only on 17-of-55 field-goal attempts.
It was sweet revenge for the Altas who were bounced in the quarterfinals of last year’s Premier Cup by Ateneo. Now, with the Blue Eagles teetering on the brink of elimination and their rivals entering by the backdoor, the Altas had their revenge.
In the day’s other big game, University of the Philippines (UP) squeaked into the quarterfinals with a 59-56 win over National University (NU).
Jun Manzo drained a triple with less than 20 seconds left to lift UP, which was without stalwarts Diego Dario, Paul Desiderio and Juan Gomez Di Liaño, who are all out with either injuries or other commitments.
It will be UP’s first trip back to the quarterfinals after last making it in 2009, where the Maroons were ousted by San Sebastian.
Noah Webb led UP with 17 points while NU’s Dave Wilson Yu was likewise the only other player to score in double figures with 16 points.
The final day for the elimination round of the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup is this Friday while the quarterfinals tips off next Wednesday.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza