DEFENDING champion Ateneo romped to its third straight win with an 89-62 win over University of the East yesterday in the 81st UAAP men’s basketball event at the Fil Oil Flying V Center in San Juan City.
Raffy Verano finished with 12 points off the bench for the Blue Eagles, but a sprained right ankle forced him to leave the game early in the fourth period with Ateneo in control.
The team of coach Tab Baldwin also got solid performances from William Navarro with 11 points, while center Angelo Kouame of the Ivory Coast had eight points and 15 rebounds.
The 6-foot-3 Verano was down on the floor for a few minutes after he accidentally tweaked his right ankle when he landed on the left foot of Jason Varilla following a teardrop shot attempt.
Verano had to be assisted by his teammates as he hopped towards the team’s dugout where team medics checked the severity of the sprained ankle. He returned to the bench but did not play again.
Thirdy Ravena, the Finals MVP last season when Ateneo defeated De La Salle University in the best-of-three title showdown, finished with only eight points, three boards and two assists.
The high-leaping guard, however, was responsible in nearly shutting down UE’s main man Alvin Pasaol, who finished with only 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field – including 0-of-5 from three-point territory.
The victory improved Ateneo’s record to three wins and one loss – the only blemish to its card was the stunning 74-70 defeat to Adamson University during the opening weekend of the UAAP early this month.
Baldwin did not grant a post game interview. Instead, it was his chief assistant Sandy Arespacochaga, who pointed to two things that keyed their win against the Red Warriors.