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NU survives late Ateneo onslaught, forces do-or-die encounter
J-jay Alejandro played the game of his life to lead the Bulldogs past the Blue Eagles. KC Cruz
National University forced a do-or-die matchup in the semifinals of the UAAP Season 77 men's basketball tournament on Wednesday, but not before turning back a late charge from Ateneo de Manila, 78-74, on Wednesday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
With the win, the Bulldogs negated the twice-to-beat advantage of the top seed Blue Eagles in their final four series.
J-jay Alejandro provided the spark off the bench for NU, scoring 20 points from 6-of-7 shooting including four from behind the arc. Gelo Alolino shot 7-of-8 on the stripe including the clutch free throws to finish with 16 points.
"No pressure sa amin kasi sabi sa amin ni Coach (Eric Altamirano), gawin lang namin 'yung best namin, tapos walang regrets. Kasi pag ginawa mo 'yung best mo, manalo matalo, alam na ng tao 'yun," said Alejandro.
Glenn Khobuntin added 12 points, while Alfred Aroga finished with a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Kiefer Ravena led the Eagles with 24 points, 15 of which he scored in the fourth quarter to lead the final onslaught. But he struggled from the field, shooting just 9-of-35 (26 percent). Chris Newsome and Nico Elorde added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The Bulldogs maintained a double digit lead until the fourth quarter despite being committing 26 turnovers compared to the Eagles' seven.
NU played with a balanced offense in the first three quarters, dropping long bombs outside from Alejandro and controlling the inside with Aroga and Khobuntin.
The Bulldogs posted their biggest lead at 68-53 with 8:04 remaining, but Ateneo made a 13-2 run with Ravena leading the charge. The Eagles rendered the Bulldogs scoreless for seven minutes, and eventually seized the lead with 1:14 left on a Nico Elorde trey, 72-71.
J-jay Alejandro provided the spark off the bench for NU, scoring 20 points from 6-of-7 shooting including four from behind the arc. Gelo Alolino shot 7-of-8 on the stripe including the clutch free throws to finish with 16 points.
"No pressure sa amin kasi sabi sa amin ni Coach (Eric Altamirano), gawin lang namin 'yung best namin, tapos walang regrets. Kasi pag ginawa mo 'yung best mo, manalo matalo, alam na ng tao 'yun," said Alejandro.
Glenn Khobuntin added 12 points, while Alfred Aroga finished with a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Kiefer Ravena's heroics were not enough for the Blue Eagle. KC Cruz
Kiefer Ravena led the Eagles with 24 points, 15 of which he scored in the fourth quarter to lead the final onslaught. But he struggled from the field, shooting just 9-of-35 (26 percent). Chris Newsome and Nico Elorde added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The Bulldogs maintained a double digit lead until the fourth quarter despite being committing 26 turnovers compared to the Eagles' seven.
NU played with a balanced offense in the first three quarters, dropping long bombs outside from Alejandro and controlling the inside with Aroga and Khobuntin.
The Bulldogs posted their biggest lead at 68-53 with 8:04 remaining, but Ateneo made a 13-2 run with Ravena leading the charge. The Eagles rendered the Bulldogs scoreless for seven minutes, and eventually seized the lead with 1:14 left on a Nico Elorde trey, 72-71.
But free throws from Alejandro, Alolino, and Henri Betayene gave NU the edge it needed down the stretch to force the winner-take-all. — JST, GMA News
