National University turned up the heat in the second half to overwhelm the University of the East, 72-57, spoiling Chris Gavina’s coaching debut in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena in Manila.
The Bulldogs rode the continued rise of Paul Francisco and Kenshin Padrones, along with the return of Gambian foreign student-athlete Omar John, to fuel a strong start to the farewell tour of seniors Jake Figueroa, Steve Nash Enriquez, and Jolo Manansala.
After a disappointing 2-6 first round in Season 87 that kept them out of Final Four contention for the first time since Season 84, NU’s opening day victory provides a much-needed boost for the Bulldogs.
“Thankful ako kasi sa first game namin, nakuha namin ito. Nagkaroon kami ng confidence sa mga paparating na games pa namin. Yung gusto lang ni coach Jeff sa amin na nandoon lang yung effort and aggressiveness namin kada game, kailangan every game ready kami,” shared Francisco, who finished with 16 points, six rebounds, five steals, three assists, and two blocks.
The Bulldogs pulled away early in the second half with a 14-1 run, sparked by back-to-back thunderous dunks from John and Figueroa, an inside basket by John, and a Figueroa triple, stretching their lead to 53-35.
The Red Warriors’ hopes of a comeback quickly faded as Tebol Garcia hit a mid-range jumper, Figueroa added two free throws, Palacielo converted a layup, and Gelo Santiago drained a three-pointer, giving NU a commanding 68-45 lead with 8:12 remaining and sealing their first opening day triumph since Season 86.
“Mahaba pa yung season. Very important for us is to become healthy muna. ‘Yon muna iniisip namin ngayon is maging healthy kami kasi mahaba yung season. At least masaya kami na nalagpasan namin yung first game na walang nangyari sa players,” Bulldogs head coach Jeff Napa said.
Francisco contributed 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting with four rebounds, one assist, and one steal, while Padrones added a near double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, along with one steal and one block.
In his first UAAP action since Season 86, John finished with eight points, two rebounds, and one block, while Santiago also scored eight points with one rebound.
NU will next face Far Eastern University, which dropped its opener to Ateneo de Manila University, on Saturday, September 27, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
For UE, Gavina’s first outing ended in defeat as the Red Warriors continued their rebuilding process following a fifth-place finish in Season 87 and the departures of Rain Maga, Jack Cruz-Dumont, and Ethan Galang.
Nigerian foreign student-athlete Precious Momowei led UE with a double-double of 12 points and 16 rebounds, alongside three assists, two steals, and one block, while team captain John Abate registered 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting with two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
Rookie Mo Tanedo, a product of West Nottingham University in the United States, showed promise with eight points, two rebounds, and two assists.
The Red Warriors aim to bounce back against Kymani Ladi and the Blue Eagles this Wednesday, September 24, still at the QPAV Arena.
The Scores:
NU (72) – Figueroa 16, Francisco 12, Padrones 10, John 8, Santiago 8, Palacielo 6, Jumamoy 4, Manansala 3, Enriquez 3, Garcia 2, Dela Cruz 0, Parks 0, Solomon 0, Tulabut 0, Reyes 0.
UE (57) – Momowei 12, Abate 10, Tañedo 8, Dumont 5, Datumalim 5, Caoile 4, Lagat 4, Lingolingo 4, Jimenez 4, Rosete 1, Robles 0, Mulingtapang 0, Cabero 0, Malaga 0, Despi 0.
Quarterscores: 24-20, 39-34, 59-45, 72-57
