Foul-ridden National University hit the right buttons down the stretch to turn back streaking De La Salle University, 75-67, and tighten its grip on the top spot in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament, Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Bulldogs improved their league-leading record to 8-2 while snapping the Green Archers’ four-game winning run, dropping them to solo third at 6-4.
Aside from opening a two-game cushion over La Salle, NU also gained some breathing room over defending champion University of the Philippines, which climbed to second at 6-3.
Jake Figueroa, NU’s main man, struggled offensively with just five points on 2-of-9 shooting but still contributed eight rebounds, six steals, and six assists.
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, Steve Nash Enriquez rose to the occasion with 16 points, knocking down all four of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Omar John, one of the Green Archers’ biggest concerns heading into the game, also delivered with 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals.
“It’s about how we perform every game. It’s about how we put effort every game. It’s how we improve every game. Good thing everybody stepped up doon sa absence ng isa (Gelo Santiago) kaya nakuha namin itong panalo,” said NU head coach Jeff Napa.
(“It’s all about how we perform every game — the effort we give and how we keep improving each time. The good thing is, everyone stepped up in Gelo Santiago’s absence, and that’s how we got this win.”)
La Salle trimmed the deficit to just five after Jacob Cortez and Mike Phillips combined for three free throws, 64-69, with 3:05 left in the contest. But Enriquez responded with a booming triple to restore a comfortable 72-64 lead.
Cortez and Luis Pablo again brought the Green Archers within five following a layup and a split from the line, respectively. However, Mark Parks had the final say, sinking a reverse layup to stretch NU’s lead to 74-67 with just 46.9 seconds remaining.
Despite drawing 30 fouls from the Bulldogs, La Salle once again struggled at the free-throw line, making only 20 of its 36 attempts for a poor 55.6 percent clip.
NU went into halftime up by 12, 50-38, after erupting for a 28-12 second quarter.
“Nagprepare kami nang maayos not just physically but mentally din kasi alam namin na nasa winning streak ang La Salle. Ginawa lang namin ‘yung best namin, ‘yung 1,000 percent energy nga na ibibigay namin,” said Enriquez.
(“We really prepared well, not just physically but mentally too, because we knew La Salle was on a winning streak. We just gave our best — that 1,000 percent energy we promised to bring.”)
Paul Francisco also stepped up for the Bulldogs with 14 points, three assists, three steals, and two rebounds before fouling out at the 3:20 mark of the fourth quarter.
NU will aim to inch closer to a Final Four berth when it faces Adamson University on Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Cortez led the Green Archers with 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists against five turnovers, while Earl Abadam added 13 points.
Mike Phillips contributed a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with three steals, while Luis Pablo tallied 10 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
La Salle’s woes deepened in the second quarter when Vhoris Marasigan was called for a disqualifying foul with 4:52 left after landing a closed-fist hit on John while fighting through a screen.
The Green Archers will look to bounce back against archrival Ateneo de Manila University next Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
NU (75) – Enriquez 16, Francisco 14, John 12, Parks 7, Figueroa 5, Garcia 5, Manansala 4, Padrones 4, Palacielo 3, Jumamoy 3, Dela Cruz 2, Tulabut 0.
DLSU (67) – Cortez 16, Abadam 14, Phillips 11, Pablo 10, Macalalag 5, Daep 4, Dungo 4, Gollena 2, Marasigan 2, Nwankwo 0, Quines 0.
Quarterscores: 22-26, 50-42, 61-54, 75-67.
