UAAP shocker: UP gives mighty Ateneo the blues

The University of the Philippines Maroons clobbered defending champion and erstwhile unbeaten solo leader Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles, 68-58, on Sunday to post the biggest upset so far in the UAAP Season 72 seniors’ basketball tournament. "Para kaming nag-champion," said UP coach Aboy Castro after the team gave the Blue Eagles their first defeat in four outings at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

"It was like a David and Goliath match," added Castro after giving UP its first win over Ateneo since Sept. 2, 2004, when the Maroons posted a 74-69 in the same venue. "Tinalo namin na 0-3 (UP's win-loss record prior to the match) ang 3-0 na team (Ateneo)," explained Castro, whose wards played with more energy than the Blue Eagles. The Ateneans came into the game probably thinking they would just walk over the lowly Maroons, who are now tied with Adamson for the seventh and eight places with their 1-3 cards. "I agree we could have played a little over-confident against UP," said Ateneo coach Norman Black, whose team slipped to a tie with FEU and UST for the first to third spots with their 3-1 slates. Black said his boys probably thought that the match would be easy after the Eagles' initial triumphs over tough team University of the East, title contender Far Eastern U and gritty University of Santo Tomas. "We came into the game without energy," added Black. "UP picked up their confidence as early as the second quarter and we cannot meet their energy." "But remember this is just our fourth game in the season," Black warned. With their oozing energy, the UP Maroons erased a 29-35 Ateneo lead at the start of the third quarter by limiting the Eagles to just six points, their lowest quarter output since July 2005. And with the Maroons' defense wreaking havoc on the offense of Ateneo, UP even took a 65-54 lead, its biggest in the match, with no more than two minutes remaining in the game. Ateneo was also blanked by the UP Maroons starting at the 3:43 minute mark of the fourth until the last 53 seconds when Rabeh Al-Hussaini scored two of his game-high 17 points. "We played them well," said Castro. "We have the energy and maintained that until the buzzer." - GMANews.TV