Maybe some of you guys are thinking that Ateneo will easily win another Championship this year. Well, it’s not that easy as the UE Red Warriors defeated the defending Champs Ateneo Blue Eagles earlier to force Game 3. The UE Red Warriors puts the UAAP Season 72 Finals Game 2 in the bag with an 88-68 score.
The big men of UE Red Warriors are just not ready to hang up their jerseys yet. The high-flying Elemer Espiritu and the under-sized big man Pari Llagas led the wrecking of Ateneo with a combined 41 points. The Red Warriors pulled away after these guys scored 14 of their combined points in the last period.
The game is just in the UE Red Warriors’ way as they made 19 0f their 30 shots in the second half for 50 points. In opposite to Ateneo Blue Eagles‘ 11 of 32 shots including 3 of 21 shots from the 3-point area that produces only 28 points.
It was the Warriors’ first Finals victory since 1985. Incidentally, it was the year the UE Red Warriors bannered by Allan Caidic last won a championship at the expense of the Pido Jarencio-led UST Tigers.
Meanwhile, the Ateneo Blue Eagles with their worst defense of the season was led by fromer UAAP MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini with 18 points and just don’t have enough back-up with the likes of Eric Salamat who just scored a horrible 4 points and Ryan Buenafe with just 2 points.
Ateneo Blue Eagles‘ head coach Norman Black describes this UAAP Season 72 Finals Game 2 as his worst loss ever since taking the job few years back.
[...]