Ateneo sneaks past Adamson

MANILA, Philippines (June 11, 2011) - Jumpstarting their 4-peat campaign, the Ateneo Blue Eagles won against Adamson, 55-41, in UAAP Season 74 men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum yesterday.

Earlier, Ateneo coach Norman Black rightly anticipated a tough game with Adamson, which has the potential to derail their run for a 4th straight championship in UAAP basketball.

The Blue Eagles struggled past an Adamson team that is familiar with their moves, having to overcome a 7-point deficit using improved defense and a closing 11-0 blitz to secure the victory.

This was Ateneo's 29th straight win against Adamson since 1997.

Greg Slaughter, Ateneo's 6-11 new acquisition, proved his worth early. He pumped in a game-high 23 points, including a three-point play that sparked Ateneo’s unanswered run in the final 6:40 minutes. He also pulled down eight rebounds and swatted two shots, the last one thwarting Adamson's Lester Alvarez’s attempt to tie the score at 53 with 38 seconds left in the game.

In a pre-season controversy, Slaughter's eligibility was questioned because of his previuous his stint with Gilas.

Ateneo’s other high profile rookie Kiefer Ravena was held scoreless in 14 minutes of action against the bigger shooting guards of Adamson.

In the other match, FEU Tamaraw, last year's runner-up, beat the La Salle Green Archers, 74-65, to start their own championship campaign. (From philstar.com, Vox Bikol)