The Ateneo Blue Eaglets are the new kings of UAAP Juniors Division.
Rebounding from their first loss of the season, the Eaglets showed maturity and resiliency as they defeated the gritty NU Bullpups, 63-58, in Game 3 to become the UAAP Juniors Season 80 champions on Friday at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
And just as they have done all season, they relied on the broad shoulders of Kai Sotto.
The 7-foot-1 star center was able to hit the go-ahead basket with 25.8 seconds left to give the victory for his squad. Sotto was named the Finals MVP as he notched 19 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks in the deciding Game 3.
SJ Belangel, meanwhile, finished with 16 points and eight rebounds despite shooting 5-for-22 from the field and eight turnovers. Dave Ildefonso contributed 13 points and nine boards.
"Kai told me, he'll bounce back," Ateneo head coach Joe Silva proudly said. "The three of us (Sotto and Belangel) talked and both of them said, whatever happens, we will win this game."
In Game 2, Ateneo was outhustled and outrebounded. Silva even mentioned that their opponents wanted to win more. Game 3 was a different story. With Sotto leading the way, the Eaglets dominated the rebounding battle, 64-46.
The control of the boards turned out to be critical as the Bullpups dragged the Eaglets into a grind-it-out contest, hoping to replicate the success of their previous game. They even forced 23 turnovers on the Eaglets. Unfortunately, they could not overcome their poor shooting.
Terrence Fortea led NU with 14 points but only shot 32 percent. Miguel Oczon and Rhayyan Amasali combined for just 13 points on 6-for-27 shooting.
"I just told my boys, composure," Silva shared. "That's what NU had because they know it's the Finals. I just told them to stay composed and we'll fight back"
They Eaglets finish the season with a 16-1 record. They faced their greatest challenge in the form of the Bullpups but still managed to come out on top.
This is Ateneo's first title since 2015 where a team of future Eagles Mike and Matt Nieto won the championship.
THE SCORES
ATENEO 63 - Sotto 19, Belangel 16, Ildefonso 13, Credo 4, Manuel 4, Chiu 4, David 3, Escalona 0, Jaymalin 0, Santos 0
NU 58 - Fortea 14, Minerva 13, Manalang 8, Oczon 7, Amsali 6, Javillonar 5, Pangilinan 3, Malonzo 2, Coyoca 0
QUARTER SCORES: 15-6, 28-23, 44-43, 63-58