By Anjela Ferry

By AJ Alarcon

Ateneo wasted no time in showing the Quadricentennial Pavilion what true-blooded Eagles can do as they hunted down the National University Nazareth School (NUNS) Bullpups in a bronze battle under the AsiaBasket Youth Campus Tour 2025, with a solid 104–79 showing on Sunday, November 23, in which the Blue Eagles kept the tally at a distance throughout all four quarters.

Kept positioned under the net, Jude Eriobu powered through the match with an incredible 38 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 blocks to keep the team in the lead. Q Molina, Noah Banal, and Ziv Espinas were also kept busy on the court for more than 23 minutes, tallying 16, 10, and 7 points, respectively.

NU’s Shaun Lucido opened the first quarter with a score, but Ateneo ensured that it was the last lead the Bullpups could get as Eriobu slammed the ball multiple times and churned in successful free throws to get a 14–9 lead.

Exchanging fouls and clean layups, Zane Kallos and Jay M Leal brought in excellent goals for Ateneo to end the quarter at 29–20.

Molina welcomed the second quarter with three-pointers, alongside quick points from Espinas, Eriobu, and Ethan Kaw, to ignite their biggest scoring run until 46–27.

Aiori Aquino also converted a lightning-fast pass from Kallos, later erupting with a three. Bullpups Rhonj Matias and Rob Rainier Celiz capitalized on free throws, but the timer ran out at 58–43.

Eriobu once again took to the basket in the third quarter for an early slam before Lucido answered with a two and Sofiane Bouzina with a three. Unri Madrangca and Espinas then responded with threes, but Bouzina refused to let it go unanswered, scoring another goal beyond the perimeter.

Looking to close the quarter with a streak, Eriobu harshly sank 2 buckets in, followed by consecutive successful free throws alongside Renzo Gatmaitan, for an 85–62 third-quarter tally.

Court snipers Leal and Banal amplified the already-wide gap with threes to start the last quarter. With solid defenses and with the team making the most of the free throws, Ateneo pushed to the game-high lead of 30 points at 97–67.

With the timer gradually drawing to zero, Molina drove to the basket to sink five more points, which Matias and Sal Andre Mann could not overcome with free throws, ending the match at 104–79.

“Today’s match was a great win because we did it together as a team,” said Player of the Game Eriobu. “I wouldn’t have done it alone without my teammates.”

He added, “We all came out strong today because we’re waiting for this moment,” also citing the great support from their coach.

Moreover, during the awarding ceremony, Banal was hailed as part of the Fueled Five after averaging 16.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game throughout the competition.

Losing key player Alfonso Tan early in the competition to an ACL tear, Banal admitted that their start was shaky. “Our guards really had to step up and our whole entire team had to step up and just glue together,” he added.

Winning big in the pre-season tournament, Banal is assured that “it’s only up from here.” Going into the Boys’ Basketball Tournament of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the team is set to be solid contenders for Season 88.