Continuing where he left off last September 8, Dave Ildefonso willed the National University Bulldogs past the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers anew, taking a 69-61 triumph, Sunday afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Bulldogs snapped the Growling Tigers’ three-game winning streak, dropping them to 4-5. NU, on the other hand, raise their record 3-6 – 1.5 games behind third- and fourth-running DLSU Green Archers and FEU Tamaraws.
Besides returning to the win column, Jamike Jarin became the first head coach in three years to sweep an elimination round series against Aldin Ayo. But Jarin, a former NCAA champion coach, downplayed the feat saying, “It’s never about us. Jamike Jarin and Aldin Ayo will never be bigger than the UAAP and the league. We are just two coaches who love to compete.”
And it’s because of Ildefonso and Troy Rike.
“It’s not me. It’s just sixteen players responding right now and the two here are the ones who shined the brightest. They should get all the acknowledges and the fourteen also. Yun lang,” added Jarin.
With UST cutting the lead from 11 points to a solitary point with 4:40 left, Ildefonso took over as he drove to the lane with ease. He scored seven points on an 8-2 spurt, highlighted by an and-one play.
The rookie, who had 19 points in their first round outing, had 16 points this time around.
Rike, on the other hand, helped build NU’s 11-point lead entering the final frame, tallying 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
It was a chippy game for both squads that saw fouls slapped everywhere. Ayo was even whistled for a technical foul with 8:22 left after barking at the referees for allegedly missing back-to-back calls against Marvin Lee.
John Lloyd Clemente added 12 points to lead NU’s bench, while Issa Gaye recorded 10 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks.
Renzo Subido led UST with 18 points but went just 6-for-17 from the field. Marvin Lee chipped in 12 markers. Zachy Huang, who tallied a career-high against the FEU Tamaraws last Wednesday, finished with 11 points and nine boards.
Ildefonso’s arch-rival CJ Cansino was limited to just eight points, but was still able to gobble up 18 rebounds while dishing out five dimes.
NU will next face the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles on Saturday, October 27, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. UST, on the other hand, take on the University of the East Red Warriros on Sunday, October 28 at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Scores:
NU 69 – Ildefonso D 16, Rike 13, Clemente 12, Gaye 10, Diputado 7, Ildefonso S 4, Yu 3, Joson 2, Sinclair 2, Aquino 0, Gallego 0, Galinato 0, Tibayan 0
UST 61 – Subido 18, Lee 12, Huang 11, Cansino 8, Mahinay 8, Caunan 4, Bataller 0, Marcos 0, Zamora 0, Cosejo 0, Agustin 0
Quarterscores: 15-11, 33-32, 53-42, 69-61
