MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Nothing has been easy for Ateneo, a usual powerhouse in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament, with wins hard to come by.

But the rebuilding Blue Eagles, in continuing to trust the process, just claimed their biggest catch of Season 87 on Sunday night after bringing down National University (NU), 70-68 at Smart Araneta Coliseum, which fanned what little hopes they have left of reaching the Final Four.

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“It was enough to get us over the finish line,” coach Tab Baldwin said after the Eagles improved to 2-6. “It’s been a tough first half of the season and they’ve stuck together.”

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Meanwhile, University of the Philippines (UP) dealt University of Santo Tomas an 83-73 beating in the second game, as the Fighting Maroons reclaimed a tie for the lead with idle La Salle at 7-1.

UP star Francis Lopez finished with 20 points after missing just one of nine shots from the field.

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At the end of the first round, Ateneo only had a 60-51 victory against Adamson to show as practically everybody else in the field had a field day against the Eagles by notching double-digit triumphs.

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This is the worst start of the Katipunan-based squad since Baldwin took the reins, and it would take a lot for Ateneo to make Baldwin miss his first semifinal appearance.

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“I know that there’s so much we’re going to take out of this season, particularly these young guys,” Baldwin said. “And the pressure is on whether you’re getting results or not to get better. And we were better tonight for sure.”

The Eagles showed signs of that improvement, as they slowed down the also skidding Bulldogs in the first half with a tight defense that boosted them to a 32-19 lead.

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NU doggedly tried to reverse the outcome, even having a chance with the late triples of Steve Nash Enriquez and Jolo Manansala that cut Ateneo’s lead to just one.

Ateneo needed two Ian Espinosa splits from the stripe to secure the win, which was what Baldwin meant when he said that the Eagles did just enough to escape the bite of the Bulldogs.

“We stuck more to what we were trying to do in the game plan. And again, I’d like us to have better composure in the fourth quarter. I’d like us to be better decision-makers,” Baldwin said.

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“Today we displayed a toughness we might have lacked in other games this year.” INQ

For the complete collegiate sports coverage including scoreswinning plus, schedules and stories, visit Inquirer Varsity.

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