THE University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers gave the Ateneo de Manila University everything they had. In the end though, the Blue Eagles were just too good as they overwhelmed the Cebuanos in the fourth period to come away with a 95-63 win in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League National Collegiate Championship semifinals at the Ynares Sports Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2020.
UV was in the thick of the fight and trailed by just five, 62-57, heading to the fourth canto. However, Ateneo showed exactly why they are considered the very best collegiate team in the country today as they buckled down and opened the fourth with nine straight points to open up a 71-57 lead.
The Green Lancers broke the drought by scoring their first two of the period but the Blue Eagles answered with 11 unanswered points spearheaded by Tyler Tio and Ange Kouame to break the game wide open and lead by 23, 82-59, with 4:07 remaining.
Tio fired 14 of his 16 points in the fourth period as he led the Blue Eagles’ 33-6 finishing kick.
Ateneo will next take on the San Beda Red Lions in the finals, which was being played at press time
SJ Belangel led Ateneo with 20 points and six rebounds, while Will Navarro had 14 points and seven boards.
Dwight Ramos fired in 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Kouame almost had a triple-double with his nine points, nine boards and seven blocks.
Ivorian big man Lass Coulibaly paced UV with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Melvin Botuhan had 12. Jancork Cabahug and Michael Maestre both scored 11 for the Green Lancers, who have been relegated to the battle for third place game against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. (JNP)