NU barks away 6-year, 10 game losing streak to Ateneo; clinches away solo second

The National University (NU) Bulldogs is now back on its feet after crushing the Ateneo Blue
Eagles down in a rousing 78-74 win on Wednesday night, in the UAAP Season 85 men’s
basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Joan Manansala unleashed his fiery skills, spearheading his team with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 3
assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
Ateneo ended the opening frame alongside 6-point gap against the Bulldogs, with 20-14 finish.
NU emerged victorious on the game’s halftime, leading the Blue Eagles by 12 via a 14-0 run,
finishing it with scores 41-29.
Tables have turned on the third quarter, as Ateneo’s Kai Balungay sinks a go-ahead three, ending
the quarter recovered from a 14-point deficit, bagging it away with a close 57-56 finish.
The game intensifies even more in the final quarter with Kean Baclaan bringing back the
Bulldog lead, with scores 70-65 with 3:52 left in the clock.
Michael Malonzo delivered a series of defensive moves as the time fades away in the last
quarter, denying Ateneo a comeback that launched Bulldogs’ instead.
“I just enjoyed the game. I wasn’t looking for points, I just hustled whenever I’m on the floor,”
Manansala said after the game.
It was a significant win for NU, after being stalled for six years by their defeat against Ateneo
since 2016.
“I always tell them that if they want to become a bigtime player, they have to beat the big boys,”
said the Bulldogs coach Jeff Napa.
Napa also added that he and his team will work harder as they face the Far Eastern University
Tamaraws on the next round.