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Quick Fire: Ateneo Blue Eagles continue unbeaten run versus Adamson Soaring Falcons

(Photo Credit: Zach Garcia, The GUIDON)

Ateneo Blue Eagles def. Adamson Soaring Falcons 71-59

Notable Players:

Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists): We can argue about his clutch gene all day long, but there's no doubt about it: Thirdy Ravena is the second best player in the league. Bar none.

Chibueze Ikeh, Ateneo (7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block): Ikeh was respectable in his match-up versus Sarr, putting up solid number across the board. He still has moments where you're left scratching your head, but you can't deny his improvement. 

Papi Sarr, Adamson (15 points, 9 rebounds, 6 turnovers): Adamson ran most of their sets around Sarr, which did not work as well as they hoped for. Sarr got his numbers, but the rest of his team could not get going.

Quick Analysis:

- Adamson is a team which uses the press to limit possessions rather than to increase them to their favor. They did a good job at doing that (76.08 Pace) versus Ateneo, but they didn't do too well at limiting Ateneo's efficiency offensively (93.33 Defensive Rating for AdU).

- Here's the beauty with the Blue Eagles: Their team is malleable enough to play at any pace. Need a fast-paced affair? They're getting better at that. Want to slow it down? They're masters at that. Not only is the team deep, but they can adjust to various situations as well. That's a heck of a headache to deal with.

- Thirdy was the only one who scored in double digits (not surprising), but it's not like the other Blue Eagles didn't get theirs. Five players managed to score six points or more, plus the Blue Eagles dished out 15 assists versus the five of Adamson. That's really impressive. 

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