Reigning UAAP Mens Basketball team, Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles posted their tenth win of the season, by successfully bypassing one of the most dangered teams when it comes of expecting them to succeed the least, the said punching bag of the UAAP, the National University Bulldogs. This lopsided victory of the Blue Eagles over the Bulldogs marks their 7th game in a row, a good confident booster when it comes to face one of the never-die teams in the league, the Adamson University Falcons this weekend in San Juan.
It is expected to not be a walk in the park for the Ateneans, at the other hand it is assumed that Black will push his best five on the floor to take a W out of their next outing in order to assure the Eagles of a vital twice to beat advantage over whoever ranks fourth in the standing at the end of the eliminations.
National University were not even close
The NU Bulldogs opened the scoring festive for this game with a bucket from beyond the arch, but that, practically was it for them. As the defending champions, Ateneo countered their first blood bucket with 28 unanswered points, giving the Blue Eagles a 10-42 -32 points- advantage entering the half.
The bulldogs have cut the lead down to mid 20 at the final moments of the game, but it is considerably not even close at all, even if their performance was a bit better than during their last meeting. Ateneo did not played at its full potential sending in Rookies and Sophomores to challenge the Bulldogs during Garbage time. But even then Ateneo was able to score with newbies like High School Hotshot Juami Tiongson hitting from rainbow distance and de Chavez nailing a triple unguarded.
Was this Buenafe’s breakout game?
Buenafe’s 23 points that helped Ateneo dominate this game means a lot to fans of the reigning Rookie of the Year. Will this game mark the end of the Sophomore Jinx he is in and pull him out of the slump or was this just a one-time-shine? Well, admittedly, the opponent was surely not the strongest, but 23 points still mean 23 points, including a few triples that accumulate to more triples he has shot during the whole season prior this fixture.
Salva has been playing solid minutes off the bench this season, while Buenafe hasn’t really done much until now. Let’s hope that this was truly a signal of intend of Buenafe to step up in the next outing to be a key player in the playoffs and eventually the finals if they make it.
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