UP assured of playoff for Final Four berth; NU overcomes FEU

The University of the Philippines routed University of the East, 83-69, to clinch at least a playoff for a Final Four berth.

Malick Diouf tallied 23 points and 15 boards for the Diliman-based squad's ninth win in 10 games, while Zav Lucero added 17 markers. Carl Tamayo did not record a score as he was limited to 12:44 minutes and was reportedly suffering an injury.

Meanwhile, Adamson University overcame a 19-point lead to steal the win from the University of Santo Tomas, 56-55, with Cedrick Manzano registering a career-high 19 points, including the dagger three-point play which sealed the victory for the Falcons. Adamson played without injured key players Jerom Lastimosa and Vince Magbuhos.

National University also trailed by 19 points before making a 20-0 run to reclaim the lead and eventually take the win against Far Eastern University, 71-60. Patrick Yu tallied 15 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds in the win.

UP leads the league in standings while NU sits at second with 7-3. Adamson has a 4-5 card while both UE and FEU have 4 wins and 6 losses each. UST, meanwhile, remained at the bottom of the standings with a win and eight losses.

The Ateneo and La Salle faceoff will cap Saturday's quadruple header.

The UAAP will return on November 17 after a break due to the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. With Carl Tamayo reportedly begging off due to an injury, Ateneo's Ange Kouame and De La Salle University's Kevin Quiambao remain part of the national team pool heading to the Middle East for the fifth window.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News