DEFENDING champion University of the Philippines turned back National University, 4-1, Sunday to move on the cusp of jumping straight to the women’s championship in the UAAP badminton tournament.
The Lady Maroons extended their winning streak to five behind reigning MVP Poca Alcala and Mary Ann Marañon, who won their singles’ matches at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.
The doubles’ pairs also shone, as Marañon and Lea Inlayo, and Alcala and Jessie Francisco swept the Lady Bulldogs.
UP guns for a sweep of its six elimination round ties against Adamson University at 1 p.m. on Thursday at the same Malate venue.
In other ties, De La Salle bested Ateneo, 4-1, to clinch its second Final Four berth while University of the East prevailed over University of Santo Tomas, 3-2, to end its season on a positive note.
The Lady Archers rose to 4-1, while the Lady Eagles and the Lady Bulldogs fell to 3-2, a game ahead of the 2-3 Lady Falcons.
The Lady Warriors finished at 1-5, while the Tigresses remained without a win to show in five ties.
Meanwhile, Ateneo prized center Chibueze Ikeh is slowly but surely proving his worth with the Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tourney.
Now playing in his third year with the team, Ikeh has emerged as one of the key cogs in the Katipunan-based five’s bid to reach the Promised Land anew, best typified by his impressive performance in the Eagles’ last two games.
For leading Ateneo to a league-best 6-0 record and for showing he has what it takes, Ikeh earned his first UAAP Press Corps Chooks-to-Go Player of the Week award.
Ikeh beat Adamson’s Papi Sarr and the Far Eastern University pair of Ron Dennison and Arvin Tolentino for the weekly individual plum.
Using his height and heft advantage to the hilt, the 6’7” Ikeh averaged 12.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, and 1.5 bpg last week.
Against University of Santo Tomas last Wednesday, Ikeh scored seven points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and had three assists and two steals as the Eagles subdued the Growling Tigers 94-84.
Three days later, Ikeh scattered a career-high 18 points to go with 11 caroms, one dime and two blocks in Ateneo’s 96-83 drubbing of National University.
Ikeh, a native of Nigeria, has also showcased a new facet of his game when he took—and—buried two three pointers against the Bulldogs last Saturday.
“Coaches have been teaching me other facets of the game such as shooting, dribbling. I just found myself open and I just had to shoot it and went in,” Ikeh said.
“I’m not feeling any pressure. It’s just a game. If I miss, that’s okay. Coaches are teaching me every aspect of the game and that’s giving me the confidence I need,” he added.