By Jerome Lagunzad
Games Today
(The Arena, San Juan City)
12 noon – UST vs FEU
4 p.m. – La Salle vs UP
University of the East is not just all about top gunner Alvin Pasaol.
That’s what the Red Warriors proved yesterday as they turned the tables on the struggling National University Bulldogs, 90-77, for their second straight victory in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Veteran Mark Olayon did a little bit of everything with 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds while backups Wil Bartolome and Nick Abanto teamed up for 27 points and 16 rebounds to help UE avenge an 86-69 defeat to NU during the opening day.
More importantly, the Red Warriors improved their mark to 2-6 and boosted their credential as a possible Final Four gatecrasher much to the delight of long-time mentor Derrick Pumaren.
“I think we thought about it the whole week that if we wanna make a run, we have to start the second round on a winning note,” he said. “It will be tighter and tighter and there’s no third round.”
The Red Warriors might not need to have another round of eliminations if they could only sustain their rejuvenated form following a morale-boosting 96-91 win over the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers exactly a week ago.
Making their latest win more impressive was the fact that the Red Warriors didn’t need to have another explosion from the 6-foot-3 Pasaol, who was pulled out midway in the third canto after committing his fourth personal foul and was reduced to a mere spectator from the bench from then on.
Pasaol, who averaged a whopping 40.5 points in their last two matches, still finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds on top of one assist and as many steal in 19 minutes of action.
First Game
UE 90 – Olayon 17, Bartolome 14, Maloles 13, Abanto 13, Pasaol 11, Manalang 7, Cullar 6, Derige 3, Varilla 2, Acuno 2, Conner 2.
NU 77 – Gaye 20, Alejandro 16, Bartlett 8, Salem 7, Mosqueda 7, Yu 5, Joson 4, Lastimosa 4, Morido 3, Aquino 3, Diputado 0, Rangel 0, Tibayan 0, Abatayo 0, Cauilan 0.
Quarters: 21-15, 45-36, 62-59, 90-77.