Mo Diassana dominated his matchup against Collins Akowe, while National University’s other big men also shone in a 75-71 victory over the University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
Diassana, despite battling foul trouble, finished with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 19 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end. He also posted a plus-12 rating in 32 minutes of action.
In contrast, Akowe struggled to make an impact for the Growling Tigers, finishing with just 11 points on 2-of-7 shooting and five rebounds. He posted a minus-15 rating in 33 minutes and 14 seconds on the floor.
PJ Palacielo, who also dealt with foul trouble throughout the game, contributed 14 points and six rebounds, while Kenshin Padrones made the most of his extended playing time with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
“Good win for us definitely kasi UST hindi naman basta-basta yan talaga. Isa rin sa contenders ‘yung UST. Good thing lumabas ‘yung effort namin this game up to the last minute. It’s all about mindset and ‘yung effort na binibigay namin every game,” said NU head coach Jeff Napa.
The Bulldogs strengthened their hold on second place with a 7-3 record, just half a game behind the idle University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons (7-2).
With the two teams tied entering the final period, Andrew Chio and Kristian Porter gave UST a five-point cushion with a triple and a layup, putting the Growling Tigers ahead, 62-57.
NU responded with a 10-0 run sparked by Diassana, Padrones, Tebol Garcia, and Paul Francisco to reclaim the lead, 67-62.
Diassana then threw down a dunk off a perfectly timed pick-and-roll pass from Reinhard Jumamoy with 42.1 seconds remaining, giving the Bulldogs a 73-66 cushion.
However, Landyn Jumawan and Amiel Acido combined for five straight points to cut UST’s deficit to just two, 71-73. The Growling Tigers then sent Palacielo to the free-throw line with 6.5 seconds left, hoping to make one final push.
Palacielo split his free throws, making the first before missing the second. However, the ensuing rebound scramble ended with the ball returning to him, resulting in another trip to the charity stripe that allowed NU to seal the victory.
Garcia contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, although he struggled with his shooting, making just five of his 18 attempts from the field.
The victory completed NU’s sweep of UST in the elimination round. The Bulldogs also prevailed in their first-round encounter, 87-85, courtesy of a game-winning triple by Jumamoy in overtime.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Meanwhile, the Growling Tigers continued to struggle at a crucial juncture of the season, absorbing their third consecutive defeat to fall to a 4-6 record in seventh place.
UST remains one-and-a-half games behind the fourth-place team, with four games left in its elimination-round schedule.
Amiel Acido led the Growling Tigers with 13 points and five rebounds, while Mark Llemit added 12 points, four assists, and three rebounds.
Chio finished with 11 points and two assists, while Porter impressed in 18 minutes and 53 seconds of action, tallying eight points, six rebounds, and six assists. He also posted a team-best plus-14 rating despite the four-point defeat.
Both teams will return to the Big Dome on November 8. NU will look to build a winning streak when it faces De La Salle University at 2:30 p.m., before UST takes on Far Eastern University at 5 p.m.
The Scores:
NU 75 — Diasanna 16, Palacielo 14, Padrones 13, Garcia 12, Jumamoy 6, Reyes 6, Francisco 5, Cartel 3, Alfanta 0, Miranda 0, Figueroa 0, Solomon 0, Serrano 0.
UST 71 — Acido 13, Llemit 12, Akowe 11, Chio 11, Porter 8, Buenaflor 6, Sevilla 3, Cañete 2, Danting 0, Alao 0, Manding 0.
Quarterscores: 24-18, 40-39, 57-57, 75-71.
