Monfort shines as Eagles win 4th straight

This time it was Eman Monfort who starred for two-time defending champion Ateneo.

The 5-foot-7 Montfort spearheaded the Blue Eagles' key second quarter breakaway in cruising to a 75-59 win over the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Saturday in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum. Ateneo again joined Adamson in the second to third spots with identical 6-2 slates behind Far Eastern University's 71- record. Monfort finished with a career-high 23 points along with six rebounds, five assists and four steals in just 19 minutes that earned praises from Coach Norman Black. "We're having a hard time with UP playing zone defense and luckily Eman was there to step up and hit those outside shots," Black said of Monfort, who shot 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. "Thanks coach," Monfort said upon hearing the praises inside the press room. Montfort's heroics made him the latest Ateneo cager to post a clutch single-game performance after Eric Salamat, Kirk Long and Justin Chua. "I think what's important is we're a little bit unpredictable this year as far as who will step up and shoot the ball, unlike the last two years where you know the ball will go to Rabeh Al-Hussaini," Black said. Ateneo led 17-16 after the first period but Monfort went on a rampage in a 66-second span, scoring all of the Blue Eagles' points in a key 9-0 run for a commanding 26-16 edge. "I don't care if I scored a career high but the important thing is that we won," said the Ilioilo native Monfort. "Our goal is to make the Final Four and also get the top two." The Blue Eagles enjoyed a 37-29 halftime lead but UP fought back to pull within 40-37 with 6:29 remaining after an Alvin Padilla three-pointer. That was the closest UP could get in the 40-minute match as Ateneo answered with a telling 12-0 run capped by a Ryan Buenafe fast break lay up 2:27 left in the third. From there, the Loyola-based cagers built a 22-point lead in garbage time. Chua had 16 points and four rebounds, Ryan Buenafe registered a double-double with 12 and 10 along with four assists while Salamat fell just short with nine points and nine assists. Rookie Art Dela Cruz and Frank Golla combined for 10 points and 13 rebounds to help solidify Ateneo's frontline despite third-year forward Nico Salva playing limited minutes after injuring his finger in the first half. Black chose not to let Salva play the remainder of the game despite the 6-foot-4 big man getting the green light from team doctors to return. "They said that he can play in the second half but the way the finger looked, I think he's definitely hurt and I'm not sure how long he will be out," Black said on Salva's condition. Lefty guard Martin Reyes had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead UP's losing cause while Woody Co and Mike Silungan added 13 and 11 markers respectively. UP lost its 12th straight game dating back from the last four matches of Season 72. The Maroons' last win was an 83-78 decision over La Salle on August 22, 2009 in a game that saw then-rookie Mikee Reyes firing 20 points. Reyes, this time, went scoreless in 21 minutes. – JVP, GMANews.TV