By NIKOLE JAVIER
Defending champion University of the Philippines completed another stirring fightback with a 72-69 win over La Salle to kick off its men’s basketball title-retention bid in the UAAP Season 85 Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Protecting a slim 70-69 lead after La Salle’s Evan Nelle buried a triple with 6.6 ticks left, the Maroons went to Carl Tamayo in the next play and the 6-foot-7 Gilas mainstay did not disappoint.
Tamayo calmly made his two free throws to finally seal the deal.
He finished with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting apart from posting two assists and two steals while Terrence Fortea added 15 points built on nine assists and one steal.
La Salle looked primed for a vengeful win over Final Four tormentor after leading most of the way but the Archers’ shooting went awry at the most important stage of the game.
The eventually gave the lead to UP, 62-59, thanks to Fortea’s huge triple.
“We started ‘yong game medyo ‘yong offense namin was really (off). I just felt ‘yong defense namin especially nu’ng third quarter mas nag-pick up. It became more of a defensive game. It created shots for the team, it created more easy baskets. Malaking bagay ‘yong depensa ng team,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde.
“Siguro nag-show sa game na marami kaming kailangan i-prove, kailangan mabago namin maging consistent kami. And I think marami kami natutunan sa game madala namin (sa mga susunod). Simula pa lang ng season eh, so ‘yong mga natutunan namin ngayon madadala namin hanggang matapos ‘yong liga,” said Tamayo.
Alex Winston was the lone bright spot for La Salle with 27 points aside from two assists and three steals while Nelle added nine points, going 2-of-6 beyond the arc.
UP will face Adamson on Wednesday, Oct. 5 as it attempts to start a winning streak.
In the first game, Nic Cabanero fired a career-high 33-point performance to lift the University of Santo Tomas to a 69-60 victory against host school Adamson.
Jerom Lastimosa cut the Falcons’ deficit to three after a triple, 60-63, with 56.4 seconds to go but Cabanero proved unstoppable, capping his sterling show with another jumper and two free throws.
The scores:
First Game
UST 69 ‒ Cabanero 33, Manaytay 7, Faye 6, Pangilinan 6, Mantes 5, Mantua 4, Calimag 3, Duremdes 2, Herrera 2, Manalang 1, Lazarte 0, Magdangal 0, Laure 0.
Adamson 60 ‒ Douanga 13, Yerro 13, Lastimosa 10, Hanapi 10, Sabandal 9, V. Magbuhos 3, Barcelona 2, Colonia 0, Manzano 0, Flowers 0, Barasi 0, Torres 0, Manlapaz 0, Jaymalin 0.
Quarters: 23-18, 42-38, 48-42, 69-60.
Second Game
UP 72 ‒ Tamayo 18, Fortea 15, Diouf 9, Spencer 8, Lucero 7, Gonzales 7, Alarcon 5, Ramos 3, Abadiano 0, Galinato 0, Torculas 0, Eusebio 0, Lina 0, Calimag 0.
LA SALLE 69 ‒ Winston 27, Nelle 9, M. Phillips 8, Nonoy 8, Quiambao 5, Austria 4, Manuel 4, Nwankwo 2, Macalalag 2, B. Phillips 0.
Quarters: 16-17, 34-42, 50-54, 72-69.
