ANTIPOLO -- (UPDATED) The Ateneo Blue Eagles used a big third quarter run to pull away from the University of the East, 91-76, and secure their fifth win of UAAP Season 85 on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The Blue Eagles scored 17 unanswered points to open the second half, turning a slim 46-44 halftime lead into a commanding 63-44 advantage midway through the third period.

Reigning Most Valuable Player Ange Kouame capped the run with a finger-roll in transition off a behind-the-back pass from team captain BJ Andrade. UE wouldn't score until the 3:57 mark of the third, from a bucket by Gani Stevens.

But the damage was done at that point, and the Red Warriors managed just six points in the third period as Ateneo seized full control of the game. The Blue Eagles went on to cruise to their fifth win in seven games for a strong end to the first round of the men's basketball tournament.

"Credit to UE. They got tough kids, talented players," said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin after the game. "UE shot 55% in the first half, and when you want to take pride in your defense, you can't be proud of that. You can't."

"In the third quarter, I think it was evident to everybody that our team can be tough, defensively, and they enjoyed it," he added.

Dave Ildefonso led the way with 20 points and four rebounds for the Blue Eagles, while Kai Ballungay contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes. Forthsky Padrigao just missed out on a double-double with 11 points and nine assists, as did Kouame who finished with eight points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes.

The Red Warriors have now dropped back-to-back games, and will end the first round with a 3-4 win-loss record. After making 55% of their shots in the first half, UE went just 8-of-29 the rest of the way.

Ateneo led by as much as 22 points in the fourth quarter, with Ballungay adding to his highlight reel of the season with a two-handed slam dunk off a Padrigao dime for an 83-61 count with 3:28 left. Baldwin emptied his bench soon after, and Inand Fornillos and Sean Quitevis put the finishing touches on the win.

Kyle Paranada led the Red Warriors with 17 points, and Harvey Pagsanjan had his best game so far with 17 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Luis Villegas added 10 points and 13 boards.

The Red Warriors had refused to let Ateneo pull away in the first half, ending the second quarter with a 7-0 run to enter the break down by just two points. But they couldn't solve a more determined Ateneo defense in the third quarter, and while they recovered offensively in the fourth, they couldn't stop the Blue Eagles from pouring it on.

The Scores:

ATENEO 91 -- Ildefonso 20, Ballungay 14, Padrigao 11, Andrade 11, Kouame 8, Lazaro 6, Garcia 6, Fornilos 4, Gomez 3, Koon 2, Chiu 2, Quitevis 2, Daves 2, Fetalvero 0, Lao 0, Ong 0.

UE 76 -- Pagsanjan 17, K. Paranada 17, Villegas 10, Stevens 8, Remogat 6, Payawal 5, Alcantara 4, Sawat 2, Beltran 0, Antiporda 0, Guevarra 0.

Quarters: 21-21, 46-44, 65-50, 91-76.

UAAP Season 85 is streaming on iWantTFC every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, available for Premium users outside the Philippines.