MANILA – Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles opened its three-peat bid with a 70-52 rout of Adamson University Falcons in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ivorian import Angelo Kouame had double-double 17 points and 11 rebounds to go along with six blocks on Wednesday night.
Ilonggo Ferdinand “Thirdy” Ravena had 10 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while Joseph Matthew Nieto contributed 13 markers, four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
The Blue Eagles clinched an impressive win before facing arch-rival De La Salle University Green Archers this weekend.
It imposed its dominance early by opening the first period with a 16-6 score before the Falcons kept it close in the second half at 52-57 on hot shooting by Valandre Chauca.
The two-time defending champions, however, did not allow its opponents to come any closer. Its defense was impenetrable while its offense rang off 13 unanswered points for another double-digit edge.
“We knew it was going to be tough,” said Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin. “Adamson was really the last team I wanted to see in the first game. We lost to them at the start of the season last year.”
Chauca, a one-and-done transferee, was the lone double-digit scorer for the Falcons with 17 points, while Jerrick Ahanmisi struggled with his offense with just seven markers./PN
