De La Salle University flexed its full-strength lineup and refused to bow down, toppling top-seeded National University 87-77 on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to force a do-or-die showdown in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Final Four.
With the return of Kean Baclaan from an MCL injury and EJ Gollena from suspension, the Green Archers finally had all their pieces in place.
La Salle used that depth to neutralize NU’s twice-to-beat advantage, setting the stage for a win-or-go-home Game 2 on Saturday, also at the Big Dome.
“We’re extremely grateful and blessed to be here. Again, we just tried to prolong the series,” said head coach Topex Robinson.
“Kean only got back in practice last week, so the guys decided to put in more work with this lineup. We’re up against the number one team, so it’s always going to be a battle,” added Robinson, who has yet to miss a finals in his stay at La Salle.
La Salle, aiming to become the first No. 4 team since the UAAP Season 82 University of Santo Tomas squad to reach the Finals, came out with relentless energy.
The Green Archers raced to a 22-9 lead in the first quarter, though the Bulldogs narrowed it to just two points at halftime, 46-48.
The turning point came in the third, when La Salle outscored NU 19-8 to take a 67-54 lead heading into the final period.
Early in the fourth, back-to-back baskets from Mike Phillips and Luis Pablo extended the advantage to 71-54.
NU mounted one last charge, with Reinhard Jumamoy and Jake Figueroa combining for nine straight points, but the Green Archers held firm behind Mason Amos, Jacob Cortez, and JC Macalalag.
“Thank God Mason and Kean are back with us. Mason hit a couple of big shots, Kean played composed. We’re still focused on the next game, which is do-or-die. We know NU’s going to come out hard—it’s up to us to focus on what we’re going to do,” said Cortez, who finished with 13 points, four assists, and two steals.
La Salle’s balanced scoring showcased the value of their complete roster, with nine players scoring at least six points.
Phillips led the charge with 12 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocks, while Cortez matched his scoring effort.
Gollena and Vhoris Marasigan contributed 11 and 10 points, Macalalag and Pablo had nine each, and Amos added eight points, including two key triples in the fourth.
Baclaan and Earl Abadam chipped in six points apiece.
For NU, Figueroa led the way with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists but struggled with eight turnovers.
Omar John added 12 points and five rebounds as the Bulldogs look to rebound in Saturday’s knockout match.
The Scores:
DLSU (87) – Cortez 13, Phillips 12, Gollena 11, Marasigan 10, Pablo 9, Macalalag 9, Amos 8, Abadam 6, Baclaan 6, Dungo 3, Nwankwo 0.
NU (77) – Figueroa 20, John 12, Enriquez 8, Manansala 8, Jumamoy 7, Francisco 6, Palacielo 6, Garcia 4, Santiago 2, Padrones 2, Parks 2, Dela Cruz 0, Tulabut 0.
Quarterscores: 28-17, 48-46, 67-54, 87-77.
