Ateneo, La Salle triumph

Games Sunday (Philsports Arena) 2 p.m. - FEU vs UE 4 p.m. - Adamson vs UST

Defending champion Ateneo ran roughshod over University of the Philippines anew, coasting to a 75-59 victory for its fourth straight win, in the 73rd UAAP basketball wars at the Araneta Coliseum. Saved for a sluggish showing during a few stretches of the first and third quarters, the Blue Eagles came out firing on all angles while frustrating the Maroons with a number of muffed shots in the lopsided victory. In the second game, La Salle nearly blew an 11-point lead but went on to stave off National University, 59-56, a score that mirrored a horrendous 30-percent clip by both squads. Rookie guard Almond Vosotros and Simon Atkins came through with 16 and 13 points, apiece, for the Green Archers, who prevented Mervin Baloran from sending the game into overtime in the dying seconds by muffing a three-point shot at the buzzer. The Taft-based squad improved to five wins and three losses while the Bulldogs fell to 3-5. The Loyola-based squad, who blasted UP, 78-53, in the first round, forged a tie for second place with Adamson at six wins and two losses each while the cagers from Diliman remained winless after eight games. Pint-sized guard Eman Monfort bannered Ateneo's charge with a career-high 23 points along with six rebounds, five assists and four steals in just 19 minutes to take the offensive cudgels this time around from Eric Salamat, Kirk Long and Justin Chua. "I think what's the important thing is we're a little bit unpredictable this year as far as who to step up and shoot the ball unlike the last two years where you know the ball will go to Rabeh Al-Hussaini," Black said. The 5-6 Monfort helped the Eagles separate themselves from UP by engulfing for all nine points that made a 17-16 lead after the first period into a commanding 26-16 advantage in a matter of 66 seconds. "Scoring a career-high doesn't matter for me, the important thing is we won," said Monfort. "Our goal is not only to make the Final Four but to get the top two as well." The only turbulence the Eagles encountered the rest of the way was during the third canto when an Alvin Padilla triple cut the deficit to 40-37 with 6:29 left before exploding for a 12-0 blast to gain a 52-37 edge with barely two minutes remaining in the said period. Chua had 16 points and four rebounds, Ryan Buenafe registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds along with four assists while Salamat fell short of a similar 10-10 effort with nine points and nine assists.

The scores: First Game ATENEO 75 - Monfort 23, Chua 16, Buenafe 12, Salamat 9, Dela Cruz 6, Golla 4, Long 3, Salva 2, Escueta 0, Erram 0, Tiongson 0, De Chavez 0, Austria 0. UP 59 - Reyes Ma. 15, Co 13, Silungan 11, Sison 10, Padilla 6, Saret 2, Manuel 2, Reyes Mi. 0, Maniego 0, Gomez 0. Quarters: 17-16; 37-29; 57-43; 75-59. Second Game LA SALLE 59 - Vosotros 16, Atkins 13, Paredes 6, Elorde 4, Villanueva 3, Tolentino 3, Banal 3, De la Paz 2, Webb 2, Mendoza 2, Marata 2, Andrada 2, Tampus 1, Ferdinand 0. NU 56 - Mbe 15, Terso 15, Baloran 10, Magat 6, Khobuntin 4, Ponferrada 3, Hermosisima 3, Javillonar 0, Eriobu 0, Tungcul 0, Singh 0, Malanday. Quarters: 16-12; 23-22; 43-34; 59-56.