Blue Eagles clinch Final Four Spot (vs. University of Cebu)
-After dismantling Lyceum in the Sweet Sixteen leg of the Philippine Collegiate Championship League, Ateneo came ready but only late in the second quarter, as the opening canto looked like it's going to be a win for the Mapua Cardinals. Down by 15 points, swingman Kirk Long started a run of his own, which led to a 32-30 lead entering the half.
-On the other hand, Salamat went too emotionally ballistic. Besides a bad game wherein he only had a measly 2 points, he was also called for an unsportsmanlike foul together with the Cardinals' Jonathan Banal
-Nico Salva was explosive late in the game, as no member of the Cardinals' frontcourt was not able to stop his low post and fade away moves.
-The Cardinals' frontman Allan Mangahas had an impressive offensive effort early in the game, but his last good basket was the last Mapua basket during the third quarter, where they had a 4-point cushion (that was gone in a few seconds during the final canto)
-What turned the tables in favor of Ateneo during the final quarter was the technical foul called on Banal for improper behavior, as the Blue Eagles were given four freebies plus the possession, increasing their lead from four to eight, with five minutes remaining on the game time.
-This was one of the biggest comeback games for this year's Blue Eagles, as it proved that they are not only the champions of the UAAP but also they are legit contenders and could be scoring a repeat... only if they defeat University of Cebu (with the towering JM Fajardo) and San Beda (if they win against La Salle now).
Ateneo 65 – Long 23, Salva 12, Monfort 11, Tiongson 7, Golla 6, Chua 2, Gonzaga 2, Salamat 2, Escueta 0, Erram o, Austria 0 dela Cruz 0
Mapua 56 – Mangahas 11, Sarangay 9, Parala 8, Banal 7, Acosta 6, Ranises 5, Pascual 3, Cornejo 3, Ighalo 2, Guillermo 2
Bleacher's Brew for the box score.
