EVERY GAME MATTERS

Ateneo continues to play hard even when the team no longer has any chance of going past the preliminary round. —UAAP MEDIA

It is, after all, a program that has been one of the most successful in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament. So it came as no surprise that being out of Final Four contention did not stop Ateneo from fighting its heart out against a University of the East (UE) squad that came into Wednesday’s game playing for a bigger stake.

In fact, the Blue Eagles plan to play the same way to finish out their season.

“A lot of people [are] saying it’s a lost or a failed season—[the Eagles] don’t feel that way. They feel that every game is important,” Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin said after muddling things up for UE, 71-67, Wednesday night at UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

“I think there is more than just pride to play for—there’s the uniform that we wear,” Baldwin added as the eliminated Eagles improved to 4-9 (win-loss) record after snapping a three-game skid.

“We’re trying to live up to the standards that are expected of us by our community, by our teammates, and by ourselves—maybe that part is pride.”

This is the first time since 2013 that Ateneo was knocked off the battle for the crown at this stage and the first time since Baldwin took over the program that the Eagles won’t make the semifinals.

But Ateneo proved it would go out fighting, putting the Red Warriors’ semifinal bid is in peril after pinning on them a fourth-consecutive loss that tied them with the Growling Tigers at 6-7.

UE moved to No. 4 as UST became the third seed by virtue of their head-to-head battles.

Now, it is the Warriors who are precariously within reach of another Final Four aspirant, something they could have avoided if Ateneo took it easy against a squad missing its top player, suspended big man Precious Momowei.

But the Eagles didn’t want to help the Warriors that way.

Andrew Bogo (left) led a balanced scoring effort by the Eagles; Chris Koon (right) of Ateneo had a double-double night.

“We didn’t want to disrespect our opponent by saying that this game doesn’t matter to us. It mattered a lot to us,” Baldwin said as Ateneo squandered a 15-point lead but executed well enough to seal the victory.

“We had a game plan, been trying to push the tempo and we significantly won in categories that we haven’t been so strong at this year: which is second chance points and fast break points,” the American-Kiwi mentor said.

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Five players chipped in double figures for Ateneo.

Andrew Bongo finished with 15 points and Shawn Tuano added 13 points. Chris Koon and Josh Lazaro each chipped in a double-double. Koon finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Lazaro contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Ateneo’s Shawn Tuano (with ball) scissors his way past the UE defense.

Jared Bahay (right) rifles a pass to an Ateneo teammate.

Jared Bahay, who nailed a clutch triple late in the game to knock the wind out of UE’s sails, also had 11 points.

“I think that the ability to do that in this game showed that they want to play together, they want to play for what the coaches asked them to do … Today they held on to win against a team that had a tremendous amount to play for,” Baldwin said.

The Eagles may have one more way to help the Warriors in a manner more aligned to their principles.

Ateneo’s last game is against Adamson, which is making a last push to force a playoff for the No. 4 spot. And a win by the Eagles there could be the one that seals a semifinal outing for the Warriors.