MANILA -- The return of Ateneo big man Divine Adili could not have come at a better time, as they boosted their Final 4 chances in UAAP Season 88 with a slim 78-74 win over the University of the East on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Adili made an impact in his return for the Blue Eagles, powering the team with a double-double of 15 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
READ: Ateneo avoids disaster, ends skid at UE’s expense
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin welcomed Adili's comeback, as the big man returned after a three-game absence due to back issues.
"Having him [Adili] back, I don't think we can overemphasize how important that is. We've been a team that, if you study the stats at all, we've been a team that's really struggled around the basket this year. We're last in the league and points in the paint," he said during the post-game press conference.
"You know, it's pretty evident that when Divine is out there, it changes the dynamic for the team. And I think, you know, we got more out of him today than we expected. 25 minutes is a big effort coming from where he's come from," Baldwin added.
Ateneo's Divine Adili and Waki Espina celebrate against UE during their second round game in the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball tournament, November 5, 2025 at the Mall of Asia Arena. UAAP Media
The UAAP champion coach pointed out their defensive rebounding percentage increased from 60% to 72% in Adili's return, while their offensive rebounding is up 35% from 25% without the big man.
Adili had not joined Ateneo in practice before this week as he dealt with his back injury, and Baldwin was not surprised to see the center struggle in the early goings of the game.
"Until this week, he hadn't had a training session, not a single training session with our team since a week before the season started. And so, you know, the fact that he mishandled the ball in the first half, had a couple of turnovers, and missed a couple of shots that, you know, might otherwise be makeable shots for him," the coach said.
"I told him in the fourth quarter or third quarter, I said, you know, stop trying to be a player and just try to get your rhythm. You know, just try to get your feet underneath you and get your rhythm. And he had a big second half, and it was a big factor in the game," Baldwin added.
With Adili back in the fold, Baldwin believes with more practice and game time, the big man will get more comfortable.
For his part, Adili is happy to be back for the Blue Eagles and to be able to contribute for the team.
"I feel really excited, I've been itching to get back. I got the opportunity today, thanks to God, and I'm just going to keep, you know, working to get 100 percent healthy, do my rehabs, and, you know, just leave it to God and you know, control the things I can control, work out, you know, get my rhythm back, just like Coach said," he told reporters.
Adili can't say with certainty how close he is to recovery, but he is working to stay healthy so he can contribute to his team.
"I can't really tell. These past few days, I'm getting there. I think I'm getting there. I just leave it to God. It starts with, you know, practice, getting extra walks, especially just like I did today with, you know, mishandling the ball a couple of times. So I'll just get extra practices, do extra drills, and that's the way it goes," he said.
Ateneo forward Kymani Ladi likewise welcomes the return of Adili, after holding down the paint in his return.
"Well, it feels good to play, you know, my natural position, but, you know, I still have to get the job done, whether or not he's in or he's not. So, you know, if the five has to be filled, then that's the shoes I got to fill. But, you know, I'm content with whatever the outcome is, but I have to do the win," he said.
With Ateneo boosting its Final 4 chances, Baldwin is hopeful the team will be able to adjust its execution and improve its confidence with the return of Adili.
"I think the work that Divine did was impactful in the game. But when you've got a guy that steps in that really is out of rhythm himself and out of rhythm with the team, a lot of our execution isn't where we want it to be. It's not as sharp. It's not as disciplined as it needs to be," he said.
"We're missing a lot of open shots. And that's indicative of a team that is kind of searching a little bit, you know, searching for confidence, searching for belief, searching to understand what shot we're going to get out of each possession. And that's going to improve. And Divine's presence and Divine's work and practice is going to help that improve because once he begins to find his rhythm more and we find our rhythm around him, I think that's going to give us some confidence," Baldwin explained.
Ateneo will next face its perennial rivals, the De La Salle Green Archers on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.