After playing their worst game of the season, the Ateneo Blue Eaglets have bounced back with a better performance.
Making 55.74 percent on their field goals, the Blue Eaglets clobbered the La Salle Zobel Junior Archers, 93-73, Saturday to get closer to an outright final slot in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) junior basketball tournament.
SJ Belangel fired a game-high 21 points to carry the Blue Eaglets to their 11th straight triumph at the Arena in San Juan.
This brought the Blue Eaglets three games closer to an automatic finals berth that goes to the team that completes a 14-game sweep.
Belangel shot 13 points in the first period for the Blue Eaglets, who widened a four-point 42-38 halftime lead to 18, 70-52, at the end of the third.
Kai Sotto added 16 while Joaqui Manuel came up with another double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds
The Junior Archers, led by RC Calimag and Raven Cortez with 14, fell behind with their 3-8 win-loss card.
The last time around, the Blue Eaglets came up with their most awful game of the season, after they fought off the defending champion Far Eastern University-Diliman Baby Tamaraws, 68-65.
In that game, they made around 38.7 percent of their field goals and needed winning charities from Enrico Manuel to escape.
In the day’s other games, the Baby Tamaraws stayed in contention for a semifinals berth.
They banked Daniel Celzo’s huge game and the big games of L-Jay Gonzales and RJ Abarrientos to put away the Adamson Baby Falcons, 72-71.
Celzo hit a career-high 17 points and joined with Xyrus Torres for 10 points in the last period as the Baby Tams held their ground after the Baby Falcons rallied back to within a point in the last 4.9 seconds.
The Baby Tams went on to post their sixth win in 11 games after they kept the Baby Falcons scoreless in the remaining time.
Winderlich Coyoca made 16 points for the Nazareth School-National University Bullpups as they smashed University of the Philippines Integrated School, 91-60, to remain strong in second at 9-2.
BOX SCORES
FIRST GAME
ATENEO 93 – Belangel 21, Sotto 16, Manuel 14, Angeles 8, Ildefonso 7, Escalona 7, Jaymalin 6, Chiu 5, Credo 4, Lopa 3, Diaz 2, David 0, Gusi 0, Santos 0, Tanedo 0.
DLSZ 73 – Calimag 14, Cortez 14, Consejo 13, Pascual 9, Escandor 7, Santos 4, Terrado 4, Carlos 3, Udal 2, Barcuma 2, Chavez 1, Bonalos 0, Vesagas 0, Buncayo 0, Favis 0.
QUARTER SCORES: 19-22, 42-38, 70-52, 93-73
SECOND GAME
FEU-DILIMAN 72 – Celzo 17, Abarrientos 16, Gonzales 15, Torres 8, Tolentino 6, Sajonia 5, Alforque 3, Boc 2, Ona 0, Mariano 0
ADAMSON 71 – Sabandal 22, Doria An 14, Hanapi 12, Doria Ad 8, Canoy 8, Engbino 3, Manlapaz 2, Baculio 2, Prodigo 0, Santos 0, Sevilla 0
QUARTER SCORES: 16-16, 30-33, 53-49, 72-71
THIRD GAME
NU 91 – Coyoca 16, Fortea 12, Vinoya 12, Amsali 11, Javilonar 7, Manalang 6, Minerva 6, Oczon 5, Felicida 4, Dayrit 4, Malonzo 3, Pangilinan 3, Gonzales 2, Pradella 0
UPIS 60 – Santiago 19, Tupaz 10, Gregorio 9, Labao Ral 7, Vergeire 7, Labao Raf 6, Estrera 2, Villa-real 0, Lopez 0, Gomez de Liano 0, Dimaculangan 0
QUARTER SCORES: 20-14, 47-26, 69-43, 91-60