Almost, but not quite.
That was the story on Tuesday in the 40th William Jones Cup as the Ateneo-Philippines squad fell short of a gallant comeback against 3D Global Sports of Canada, losing 86-78 at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
It was a courageous stand for the Blue Eagles after trailing by as much as 27 points early in the second quarter. Thanks to impeccable defense and crisp execution of their offense, they were able to cut the lead and get close as six points with less than a minute remaining. Unfortunately, time was not on their side and now have to settle for a 1-2 record in the tournament.
The tale of the first half was the three-point onslaught by Canada. The Canadians torched the net with 11 triples in the first two quarters as the Blue Eagles looked for cover. The only collegiate team looked shell-shocked but they would not go down without a fight.
A fire was lit underneath the Blue Eagles as they gathered their bearings and came out a different squad in the second half.
A 27-17 third quarter put Ateneo right back into the ball game. The Blue Eagles attacked the opposing defense with more aggressiveness and determination that left Canada reeling. On the other end of the floor, their UAAP championship-caliber defense finally came alive. It also helped that the Canadians considerably cooled off after the first half. Slowly but surely, Ateneo kept chopping down the lead.
A Mike Nieto triple finally reduced the deficit to single-digits, 76-67, for the first time since early in the contest. After a couple of quick exchanges by both squads, Ateneo made it into a six-point game, 84-78 - their closest since being down by 27 points, with 39.2 seconds remaining courtesy of a jumper by Matt Nieto. Unfortunately, Ateneo's comeback efforts came a little too late as time expired.
Matt Nieto led the fight for Ateneo with 18 points while Thirdy Ravena added 12 points and nine rebounds.
THE SCORES
Philippines 78 - Nieto Ma 18, Ravena 12, Wong 11, Nieto Mi 10, Go 8, Black 5, Navarro 4, Kouame 4, Andrade 3, Tio 2, Asistio 1, Maagdenberg 0.
Canada 86 - Keith 18, Wood 16, Thomas 14, Kyser 12, Stutz 10, Post 9, Campbell 7, Gyamfi 0.
Quarterscores: 14-35, 27-51, 54-68, 78-86.