De La Salle University showcased its championship composure, surviving a third-quarter barrage from the University of the Philippines to secure a 68-56 victory.
This win allowed them to finish the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 1 team, with 16,106 fans in attendance at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday evening.
The Green Archers handed their Season 86 Finals rivals, the Fighting Maroons, their first loss of the season – forging a tie atop the standings at 6-1.
However, the defending champions held the advantage due to the “win over the other” rule.
“We’re just very happy with how things turned out. We knew it was going to be a grind-out game. We knew it was going to be a game of turns. As they say, we were able to weather the storm,” said La Salle assistant coach Gian Nazario.
“We know what UP can do and what they are capable of. We’re just happy the players responded.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Down by as much as 20 in the second quarter (15-35), the Fighting Maroons mounted a comeback. They produced a massive 27-7 run that spanned the third period and knotted the match at 42 with 2:31 left in the quarter.
Harold Alarcon contributed 14 points during that stretch for UP.
However, the Green Archers countered. Lian Ramiro made a layup, followed by back-to-back baskets from reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao – a triple and a jumper – for a 49-42 cushion with 1:26 remaining in the third quarter.
La Salle then extended its lead from 55-51 to 68-54 with just 52.8 seconds left in the game, with contributions from EJ Gollena, Joshua David, JC Macalalag, and Kevin Quiambao.
“Coming into this game, our coaching staff told us to believe and have faith that we could beat any team. Our loss to UE was a wake-up call for us. We were so eager to get this win because we still have a lot to improve on,” said Quiambao, who tallied 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Joshua David also had a significant impact on the game, scoring 14 points on four three-pointers, along with seven rebounds and two assists.
Macalalag added seven points, while Ramiro, Earl Abadam, and Vhoris Marasigan each contributed five points in the game.
The Green Archers also shot 11-of-24 from deep, compared to UP’s 2-of-20 mark.
Tempers flared at the 2:54 mark of the third quarter when La Salle’s Gian Nazario and UP’s Tom Chua exchanged words, almost meeting at center court before cooler heads prevailed.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Alarcon led the way for the Fighting Maroons with 19 points, five rebounds, and three steals but missed all four of his attempts from beyond the arc.
One-and-done Quentin Millora-Brown added 10 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. Meanwhile, Francis Lopez contributed eight points and seven rebounds.
Lead guard JD Cagulangan missed his second straight game for UP but is expected to be ready for the start of the second round, according to head coach Goldwin Monteverde.
The Scores:
DLSU 68 – Quiambao 20, David 14, Macalalag 7, Ramiro 5, Abadam 5, Marasigan 5, Phillips 4, Gollena 4, Austria 2, Agunanne 2, Gonzales 0.
UP 56 – Alarcon 19, Millora-Brown 10, Lopez 8, Torres 6, Belmonte 5, Fortea 5, Abadiano 2. Bayla 1, Stevens 0, Felicilda 0, Torculas 0, Ududo 0.
Quarterscores: 19-13, 38-25, 51-46, 68-56.
