Ateneo Blue Eagles enters UAAP S81 Finals after victory over FEU

“We wanted to make sure from the start that we’re locked in.” – Ateneo assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga (File Photo: @vincetolentino/Instagram)

The Ateneo Blue Eagles did not need their twice-to-beat advantage as they proved to only need one game to eliminate the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws from entering the finals of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81. During the game at the Araneta Coliseum last Sunday, November 25, Ateneo defeated FEU at 80-61. This is the 12th time Ateneo is included in the finals in the last 18 years.

Thirdy Ravena led his team into their third finals appearance in a row with 22 points, initially setting the tone of the game with back-to-back dunks in the first quarter. At the first half, the Blue Eagles held a 14-point lead, but that only increased in the third period as the Katipunan-based squad led as many as 31 points. Helping out Ravena the most was teammate Angelo Kouame who had 18 points, 11 rebounds, and four shot blocks. On the other hand, FEU struggled to find a consistent man, Barkley Ebona leading the way with only nine points, followed by graduating Prince Orizu and RJ Ramirez at only seven. Kenneth Tuffin had the most rebounds in the entire game at twelve, but it was not enough for his team to come close to their opponents’ score.

Ateneo assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga shared that they “knew coming into this game that FEU is coming off two great wins against Adamson and La Salle,” adding, “We wanted to make sure from the start that we’re locked in. We recognize their key players who we want to defend.” Coach Sandy stated, “We got out to a good start and we wanted to sustain it. We wanted to make sure that there were no dips in our performance.”

The Blue Eagles are now waiting for their opponent in the best-out-of-three championship, as the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons face the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons go head-to-head in the semi-finals on Wednesday, November 28. UP already has a one-win advantage over Adamson.