National University mounted a furious rally from 11 points down in the last five minutes to stun Adamson University, 56-54, in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Jake Figueroa delivered the go-ahead and-one layup with 52.5 seconds left, muscling past Manu Anabo on a post move to put NU ahead, 55-54.
Adamson had several chances to reclaim the lead, but AJ Fransman’s layup went long, and Cedrick Manzano’s tip-in attempt also missed.
The Bulldogs failed to convert on the next possession, but the Falcons likewise squandered their opportunities as Matty Erolon botched a layup and Fransman, after grabbing the offensive rebound, turned the ball over—sealing the gritty win for NU.
The victory marked a strong bounce back for the Bulldogs, who were coming off a stinging loss to University of the Philippines, where they surrendered a 22-2 fourth-quarter run. This time, NU flipped the script, outscoring Adamson, 15-2, in the last 5:33.
“Credit sa mga players. Grabe ‘yung depensa namin kahit hindi kami makahulog eh, grabe ‘yung field goal shooting namin. Players na ang nagpanalo nito, hindi na ako yan. It’s all their heart, it’s all their effort,” said NU head coach Jeff Napa.
(“Credit goes to the players. Our defense was incredible, even if we couldn’t make our shots—our field goal shooting was really bad. But the players were the ones who won this game, not me. It was all their heart, all their effort.”)
The Soaring Falcons looked in control after OJ Ojarikre’s putback off his own miss gave them a 52-41 lead with 5:33 remaining.
But NU responded with a blistering 11-0 run sparked by Jolo Manansala’s back-to-back baskets, with Gelo Santiago also contributing before Figueroa tied it at 52-all with a layup off a steal at the 2:26 mark.
Manzano briefly restored Adamson’s edge with a pick-and-roll finish, but Figueroa came through once more to complete NU’s comeback.
The Bulldogs improved to 4-1, taking solo second place behind unbeaten Ateneo de Manila University.
“Kasi galing kami sa talo, gusto namin ipakita na kaya namin mag-bounce back. Luckily, nakakaconvert kami kapag crucial moments,” said Figueroa, who finished with 17 points, three assists, three steals, two rebounds, and two blocks.
(“Coming from a loss, we wanted to show that we can bounce back. Luckily, we were able to convert in crucial moments.”)
Manansala and Santiago chipped in nine points apiece for NU, which looks to build on the momentum when it faces De La Salle University on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Manzano led Adamson with 16 points and four rebounds, while rookie Earl Medina impressed with nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc.
Mathew Montebon struggled with just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting, while Ojarikre tallied eight points and 11 rebounds.
The Falcons, now at 1-4, will try to snap their three-game losing skid on Saturday when they battle winless University of the East at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym.
The Scores:
NU 56 – Figueroa 17, Manansala 9, Santiago 9, Enriquez 6, Parks 5, Palacielo 2, John 2, Francisco 2, Dela Cruz 2, Garcia 2, Jumamoy 0, Padrones 0, Reyes 0.
AdU 54 – Manzano 16, Medina 9, Montebon 8, Ojarikre 8, Erolon 4, Fransman 4, Perez 3, Anabo 2, Jaymalin 0, C. Ronzone 0, A. Ronzone 0, Tumaneng 0, Cañete 0, Barcelona 0, Torres 0.
Quarterscores: 16-20, 28-24, 38-45, 56-54.
