UST Routs Ateneo, 80-68, With Dominant Third Quarter

Key Facts

UST beat Ateneo, 80-68, on October 17 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

UST opened the third quarter with a 21-4 run and outscored Ateneo 29-10 in the period.

Collins Akowe led UST with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

UST finished the first round at 4-3 with back-to-back wins.

Ateneo fell to 3-4 after its third straight loss.

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) defeated Ateneo de Manila University, 80-68, in UAAP Season 89 men's basketball on Saturday, October 17, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The win closed UST's first-round campaign at 4-3 with back-to-back victories. Ateneo dropped to 3-4 after its third straight loss.

Third quarter decides it

The teams were close in the first half, with UST leading 34-32 at the break. The Growling Tigers then opened the third quarter with a 21-4 run, capped by a Charles Esteban three-pointer that made it 55-36 with 4:26 left in the period. UST scored 29 points in the quarter while holding Ateneo to 10, and entered the fourth leading 63-42.

Top performers

Collins Akowe led UST with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Amiel Acido and Mark Llemit added 15 points each, and Koji Buenaflor scored 11. For Ateneo, Kieffer Alas scored 18 points and Andrew Bongo had 13.

Home-court moment

"It was very special to play in this school and in our home court," UST assistant coach Japs Cuan said. Speaking about the crowd, he added: "We didn't want to let their support go in vain."

AI-assisted.This article was produced with AI assistance from the sources listed above. Our newsroom corrects any errors it finds. See our AI Disclosure.