CALATAGAN, Batangas — University of the Philippines and De La Salle University emerged on top of the field after Day 1 of the UAAP Season 84 men’s 3×3 basketball tournament, Thursday at CaSoBe Resort here.
Storylines were similar for the Fighting Maroons and the Green Archers as both dropped their first game before cruising to three straight wins to zoom to 3-1 atop the seven-team standings.
After falling to National University to start the day in the men’s division, 15-17, UP clawed back the next game on a game-winning two-pointer by Harold Alarcon in overtime to escape Far Eastern University, 20-18.
The Fighting Maroons then breezed through a 21-16 victory over University of Santo Tomas via Alarcon’s lean-in jumper with 48.1 seconds to spare, before surviving Adamson University, 15-13.
“Sa aming apat na hindi ganon ka-gamit noong sa 5-on-5, importante rin ito sa amin kasi exposure rin at experience kung makuha rin namin itong championship,” said UP guard Gerry Abadiano, who represented the country in the 2019 FIBA 3×3 U-18 Asia Cup.
Meanwhile, DLSU fell to the Soaring Falcons in its opener, 12-18, before defeating Ateneo de Manila University, 15-10, and Far Eastern University, 22-9, on Ben Phillips two-pointer with 35.6 ticks left
Trailing by eight midway through the game, the Bulldogs inched within two after a layup by Jolo Manansala with 38 seconds left, 14-16.
But Donn Lim and Emman Galman hit timely baskets for the Green Archers for their third consecutive triumph.
“‘Yung 3×3 mas mabilis talaga sa 5-on-5 kaya kailangan fast-paced kami and strong start so our last three games, we decided we needs to come out strong and that’s what you saw especially on the defensive end,” Phillips on what DLSU tweaked after their first game.
Defending champions Blue Eagles, Growling Tigers, NU, and Adamson are on a four-way logjam for third after splitting their matches at 2-2.
In its other games, UST sneaked past Soaring Falcons (12-7) and the Bulldogs (16-12) before losing to Ateneo, 11-18, in the last match of the 28-game Day 1 of the tournament.
In other results, the Blue Eagles beat the Tamaraws, 17-12 before falling to NU in a low-scoring affair, 8-9.
FEU, the lone winless squad at 0-4, missed its opportunities from the line late in the game as Ximone Sandagon and Daniel Celzo went 2-of-4 to succumb to Adamson, 11-12.
The Scores:
Game 1
NU 17 – Crisostomo 6, Manansala 5, Mahinay 4, Ramos 2.
UP 15 – Abadiano 8, Alarcon 6, Madrigal 1, Ramos 0.
Game 2
AdU 18 – Calisay 10, Yerro 7, Maata 1, Fuentebella 0.
DLSU 12 – Lim 5, Galman 4, Phillips 2, Cu 1.
Game 3 (OT)
UP 20 – Alarcon 16, Ramos 4, Abadiano 0, Madrigal 0.
FEU 18 – Gravera 7, Sleat 6, Sandagon 3, Celzo 2.
OT: Alarcon 2.
Game 4
UST 12 – Cabañero 6, Concepcion 4, Santos 2, Mantua 0.
AdU 7 – Yerro 2, Maata 2, Calisay 2, Fuentebella 1.
Game 5
DLSU 15 – Lim 6, Phillips 5, Cu 4, Galman 0.
Ateneo 10 – Koon 10, Chiu 0, Fornillos 0, Fetalvero 0.
Game 6
UP 21 – Alarcon 8, Abadiano 7, Madrigal 5, Ramos 1.
UST 16 – Santos 6, Cabañero 4, Concepcion 4, Mantua 2.
Time: Alarcon (9:12)
Game 7
Ateneo 17 – Fetalvero 7, Koon 6, Chiu 4, Fornillos 0.
FEU 13 – Sleat 7, Celzo 4, Gravera 2, Sandagon 0.
Game 8
UST 16 – Concepcion 6, Cabañero 5, Santos 3, Mantua 2.
NU 12 – Mahinay 5, Crisostomo 4, Manansala 3, Ramos 0.
Game 9
UP 15 – Abadiano 8, Alarcon 5, Ramos 2, Madrigal 0.
AdU 13 – Yerro 5, Maata 3, Calisay 3, Fuentebella 2.
Game 10
DLSU 22 – Cu 7, Lim 7, Phillips 7, Galman 2.
FEU 9 – Sleat 4, Gravera 4, Sandagon 1, Celzo 0.
Time: Phillips 2 (9:25)
Game 11
NU 9 – Ramos 4, Crisostomo 3, Mahinay 2, Manansala 0.
Ateneo 8 – Fetalvero 5, Fornillos 3, Koon 0, Chiu 0.
Game 12
AdU 12 – Calisay 7, Yerro 5, Fuentebella 0, Maata 0.
FEU 11 – Sleat 4, Sandagon 3, Gravera 2, Celzo 2.
Game 13
DLSU 19 – Lim 5, Phillips 5, Cu 5, Galman 4.
NU 18 – Crisostomo 8, Manansala 6, Mahinay 3, Ramos 1.
Game 14
Ateneo 18 – Koon 9, Fetalvero 6, Chiu 3, Fornilos 0.
UST 11 – Concepcion 8, Santos 2, Mantua 1, Cabañero 0.
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