THE National University overcame De La Salle University in an 80-77 overtime thriller Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The Bulldogs were able to maintain their composure and have now won back-to-back games to improve to 4-1, securing the sole second slot in the elimination round rankings.
Both sides were simply exchanging leads throughout the game. The game was tied at 67 at the end of regulation, forcing the extra five minutes.
Patrick Yu scores five straight baskets, one on a triple and the other on a floater, to give his team a five-point lead with 1:51 left in overtime.
The Green Archers responded swiftly, scoring four straight points on a Mark Nonoy lay-up and a floater from Mike Philips. Donn Lim, on the other hand, was able to avoid a full court trap with an open lay up, scoring 79-74.
Evan Nelle, on the other hand, gave his team another chance after draining a three-pointer to narrow the advantage to two, 77-79, with 1.3 seconds remaining, but Kean Baclaan went 1-of-2 from the line after being fouled.
This was a statement win for the Bulldogs, who proved they belonged among the big boys by defeating one of the league’s finest teams in DLSU.
NU’s leading scorers were Jake Figueroa 15 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals, Jolo Manansala 13 points, and Pat Yu 12 points, including five important points that separated them from the Taft-based squad.
This victory over one of the league’s top teams is a significant milestone for Bulldogs coach Jeff Napa. His thinking, however, remains focused on how the players will perform whether they finish second or not.
“Ang pakialam ko, especially for the players, is how they perform. Lalo na when we lost against UP, ‘yun ‘yung pinaka concern ko kasi coming to opponents na big teams, we have to be competitive,” Napa explains.
“Yung A game namin and the usual approach, kailangan lumabas para ma-turnaround kung ano man ang sitwasyon na gusto namin. So, naka-chamba. Nakachamba kami kasi given, La Salle is a very strong team talaga,” he continued.
“Good thing, na-push to the limits, hindi bumitaw ‘yung mga bata,” Napa stated. “It’s a total team effort. Everybody stepped up. Everybody stepped up to the challenge na binigay ko sa kanila. At least makakahinga na ako ngayon.”
Kevin Quiambao led the Green Archers with 25 points, nine rebounds, and four assists despite the loss. Mark Nonoy had ten points, and Evan Nelle had nine points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
This Wednesday at 6 p.m., DLSU will look to bounce back against league leaders University of the Philippines. While NU will look to extend its winning streak to three games this Wednesday at 12 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
