Ateneo’s Ange Kouame kicks the ball during a game against National University in the UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena. Photo from UAAP
MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo took on National University, winning 74-64 on Tuesday for a fifth straight win in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Blue Eagles, who haven’t lost since October 2018, are currently on a 31-game winning streak in their hunt for a fourth consecutive crown.
Ange Kouame nearly had a brace with 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks and added two steals as he fixed Ateneo’s defence.
Comebacking Dave Ildefonso tops the table for The Eagles with 14 points and 3 assists while resilient keeper SJ Belangel added 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
Ildefonso had nine points in the first half with 60% of shots from the field as Ateneo raced for an 11-point lead before resting on a 41-33 cushion at the break.
The Eagles got off to a strong start as the Bulldogs needed a lot of help from their bench to keep playing.
Reyalnd Torres finished with 14 points to lead NU, while John Lloyd Clemente and Ernest Fekicilda added 12 and 10 respectively for the Bulldogs — all three came on from the bench.
Both teams struggled from outside the circle for the first two innings, with Ateneo, although Ildefonso scored 50% from outside the arc, taking 4/18 shots there. NU was only slightly better at 3 out of 13.
Both teams also had few chances in the transition, with NU scoring four points in quick innings and Ateneo scoring just two.
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