Ateneo simply did everything right from the get-go to beat Adamson.
Ateneo arranged a finals rematch with the University of the Philippines after routing Adamson towards an 81-60 win in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday.
The Blue Eagles turned it up in the third period, where they outgunned the hapless Falcons, 24-7, including a 19-0 run, to take a commanding 63-36 lead heading into the final frame of the match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ateneo, which led by as many as 30 points, refused to slow down since then.
Forthsky Padrigao led the Blue Eagles with 16 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Chris Koon had 15 markers.
Here are 5 things that led to Ateneo’s dominant victory.
Hot shooting
It’s one of those nights where the Blue Eagles just couldn’t seem to miss. They tallied 16-of-28 or an impressive 57.1 percent from the three-point area.
Koon had four 3-point makes, while Dave Ildefonso and Bryson Ballungay each had three across their names.
Jerom ‘Rules’
From the start, Ateneo employed a defensive scheme that limited Jerom Lastimosa’s touches. It paid off.
Lastimosa, who was cited as Best Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks before the semifinals, was limited to just one point (0-of-4) while turning the ball over three times in almost 14 minutes in the first two quarters.
He ended up with a measly 10 markers while going 0-of-7 from the three-point area.
Team effort
Most coaches believe a great offense starts with a good defense. After successfully putting the clamps on the Falcons, the Blue Eagles’ offense looked seamless.
Ateneo’s starters scored a whopping 57 points. The bench contributed 27.
Longer preparation
It’s the playoffs. One needs more than heart to overcome adversity. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they were coming off a tightly-contested playoff against La Salle. They had little time to prepare while Ateneo had fresher legs coming into the match.
Experience
Both Tab Baldwin and Nash Racela are seasoned tacticians who know how to win even when odds are stacked against them.
But the former’s wards showed composure even though there were only a few holdovers from last year’s championship lineup.
For what it’s worth, Adamson made the Final Four for the first time since 2018. Who knows, it could be the start of something good.
(Editor's Note: In a previous version, this article incorrectly indicated that Adamson's last Final Four appearance was 2010. The typographical error has been corrected.)