National University weathered a strong second-half surge from Far Eastern University to secure an 84-68 victory and remain unbeaten in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tamaraws, who trailed 44-30 at halftime, clawed back in the third quarter as Kirby Mongcopa, Mo Konateh, and Neil Owens fueled a rally that cut the deficit to just three, 55-52, heading into the final period.
But the Bulldogs regained control in the fourth. Jolo Manansala, Paul Francisco, and PJ Palacielo spearheaded a blistering 14-6 run that restored a double-digit cushion, 69-58, with 5:14 left to play.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Nung halftime, ni-remind na we need to stay aggressive, pero nung lumabas kami naging flat kami. Nawala ‘yung aggression on defense, that’s why nakakuha ng momentum ‘yung FEU. So I needed to reshuffle right away para makakuha ng right combination. Good thing ‘yung ni-reshuffle ko na players nag-step up,” said NU head coach Jeff Napa.
With the win, NU tied Ateneo de Manila University at the top of the standings with a 2-0 record.
On the other hand, FEU slipped to 0-2 alongside the University of the East and the University of the Philippines.
Omar John, the Gambian center who missed last season, powered NU with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, nine rebounds, two steals, and a block. He also limited FEU’s foreign student-athlete Konateh to just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting.
“I just stuck with the game plan and my role. In the first quarter, I forced two shots and coach pulled me out to remind me of my role,” said John.
Manansala contributed 13 points and nine rebounds, while Jake Figueroa added 13 points, seven boards, and five assists, though he struggled from the field with a 4-of-15 shooting clip.
The Bulldogs capitalized on FEU’s miscues, converting 17 turnovers into 22 points. In contrast, the Tamaraws could only muster eight points off NU’s 11 turnovers.
NU looks to extend its winning streak to three when it visits the University of Santo Tomas at the Quadricentennial Pavilion on Wednesday at 4:30 PM.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Rookie Mongcopa paced FEU with 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and a block. Janrey Pasaol tallied 16 points and six assists but also committed five turnovers.
Jorick Bautista chipped in 15 points, while Konateh hauled down 15 rebounds in 39 minutes of action.
The Tamaraws aim to notch their first win on Wednesday when they face De La Salle University at 2:00 PM, also at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The Scores:
NU (84) – John 16, Figueroa 13, Manansala 13, Parks 8, Palacielo 8, Francisco 7, Enriquez 5, Padrones 5, Santiago 4, Jumamoy 3, Solomon 2, Garcia 0, Dela Cruz 0, Tulabut 0.
FEU (68) – Pasaol 16, Mongcopa 16, Bautista 15, Owens 9, Konateh 8, Daa 2, Salangsang 2, Felipe 0, Montemayor 0, Ona 0, Bagunu 0.
Quarterscores: 19-14, 44-30, 55-52, 84-68.
