UAAP: NU vs UP round two preview and live-scoring

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The National University Bulldogs look to consolidate their position atop the UAAP standings with a win over the bottom team in the league standings, the still victory-less University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Round one encounter

In a game that started much closer than expected, the UP Fighting Maroons mounted multiple comebacks, to trail by just three points at the 4:01 mark of the third period, 49-46.

It didn't last however, as a 14-2 run spanning the last two periods by NU put them up big, 63-48, 5:33 remaining in the game. After going more than a quarter without a field goal, the Maroons managed to put the ball into the basket with 3:40 left. NU placed the finishing touches on the win though, as a Bobby Ray Parks charity made it 71-52, 2:43 on the clock, and only a late UP push made the final margin of victory look more respectable, 74-60.

UP outlook

The Maroons are still winless two games into Rey Madrid's tenure as their new head coach. In their loss last August 31 versus Adamson, they were dominated on the glass, 55-37, and 20-12 in offensive rebounds, leading to an 18-4 difference in second-chance points.

But while UP's lack of size will be a definite factor, more worrying is their inability to stop the one-two punch of Bobby Ray Parks and Emmanuel Mbe. The first time around, UP conceded a whopping 40 trips to the foul line, with Parks and Mbe taking 24 free throws and making 19. In comparison, the whole UP team attempted just 15 charities, hitting nine.

NU outlook

The Bulldogs are on a roll, having won five in a row, four straight in round two, after a 3-3 start. What's impressive is that they've been streaking despite star player Bobby Ray Parks' numbers being less than MVP-caliber this season.

Sure he's still stuffing the stats sheet, what with 16.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks, but that's almost 4.1 points less than last season, and his shooting numbers are down as well. Luckily, the other Bulldogs have stepped up around him, but with that said, this is the sort of game where Parks could easily re-discover his confidence in his shot.