UAAP: La Salle escapes UP for fourth win to end first round

De La Salle University prevailed over University of the Philippines, 72-69, to end the first round of the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

In their first chance to avenge last season’s championship loss, the Green Archers snapped the Fighting Maroons’ four-game winning streak to improve with a 4-3 record and force a three-way tie for the third spot with UP and Ateneo in the standings.

After losing Mason Amos followed by Kean Baclaan to knee injuries in back-to-back games, La Salle displayed its depth with four Archers finishing in double figures led by Luis Pablo’s 14 points and Mike Phillips’ 12-point, 18-rebound double-double showing.

Jacob Cortez and EJ Gollena also provided 12 points each in the crucial win.

After a series of heated foul exchanges all game long, Earl Abadam tied the match for the ninth and final time with a triple in response to Terrence Fortea’s long bomb with 1:12 left to play.

Abadam then missed his next attempt for another three-pointer to untangle La Salle from the tiebreak before Vhoris Marasigan came up huge with a putback layup to carry La Salle to a slim 71-69 advantage.

Phillips, who was called for an unsportsmanlike foul early in the second quarter, split his free throws for the final count with 13.1 seconds remaining as the Archers rode out the shaky first-round campaign.

“A really good test of character game for both of us. I guess both teams were struggling at the start. But we just continued valuing each and every possession. There’s gonna be challenges obviously, but the guys didn’t give up and gave a good fight,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.

Harold Alarcon paced UP with an all-around effort of 13 markers, eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, while Gerry Abadiano poured all his 12 points in the first quarter.

Terrence Fortea added 12 points all made from downtown, while big man Francis Nnoruka had 12 markers and 14 rebounds for a double double finish in a losing effort.

Scores:

La Salle 72 – Pablo 14, Cortez 12, Phillips 12, Gollena 12, Abadam 9, Marasigan 5, Dungo 4, Daep 2, Macalalag 1, Nwankwo 1.

UP 69 – Alarcon 13, Abadiano 12, Nnoruka 12, Fortea 12, Remogat 7, Stevens 4, Bayla 2, Torres 2, Belmonte 2, Alter 2, Palanca 1, Yniguez 0, Briones 0.

Quarters: 20-27, 46-41, 57-60, 72-69.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News