“I think the difference in the scoreline is a reflection that our coaching staff asked for a 40-minute performance from our players,” said Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin.

“That’s been something that’s plagued us a bit this year. We haven’t given that 40-minute performance and today we came pretty close,” he added.

The Blue Eagle soared high again this time around after breaking the highest feat since the computerization of stats started in 2003 by La Salle over UST, 99-56, on October 23, 2016, which the same was affirmed by UAAP statistician Pong Ducanes.

The Blue-and-White squad team easily took control of the first frame with 14 points and jumped to a 25-team high gap, thanks to Raffy Verano who commandeered Ateneo with his 18 points.

But it was not only Verano who led the team to victory as Sj Belangel, Gio Chiu, Joshua Lazaro, Dave Ildefonso, and Ange Kouame contributed twin digits each to put the Tigers in despair at the end of the third frame with an 80-36 lead.

Nic Cabañero, on the other hand, was the only Tiger who had a fang to contribute a twin digits score and tried retaliating from its degrading game that ended at a 101-51 deficit.

The Scores:

Ateneo 101 – Verano 18, Belangel 16, Chiu 14, Lazaro 12, Ildefonso 11, Kouame 10, Koon 9, Andrade 6, Padrigao 5, Mamuyac 0, Tio 0, Gomez 0, Daves 0. 

UST 51 – Cabañero 18, Manaytay 9, Fontanilla 8, Manalang 7, Concepcion 5, Yongco 2, Santos 2, Ando 0, Herrera 0, Gomez de Liaño 0, Garing 0, Mantua 0, Pangilinan 0. 

Quarters: 22-8, 46-21, 80-36, 101-51.