University of the East fended off a last-minute comeback attempt by De La Salle University, securing a 75-71 victory in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday evening at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
With the monumental effort, UE dealt the defending champions their first loss of the round.
The defeat was particularly striking as reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao missed two crucial free throws in the closing seconds.
As the game progressed, the trio of JC Macalalag, Mike Phillips, and Quiambao spearheaded a remarkable comeback. Together, they erased a 59-71 deficit with just 2:59 remaining.
Their impressive 12-2 run brought the Green Archers within two points at 71-73 with only 28.4 seconds left on the clock.
Tension mounted in the closing moments when the Red Warriors found themselves trapped during the ensuing play.
Earl Abadam forced a jump ball against Gjerard Wilson with 17.3 seconds left, and the possession arrow favored the Green Archers.
With UE in the penalty, Ethan Galang made a questionable decision to intentionally foul Quiambao, sending him to the free-throw line with 15.8 seconds remaining.
Confident that he would be able to tie the game, Quiambao encouraged the crowd to rally behind him. However, the pressure proved too much, as he missed both attempts.
This paved the way for John Abate, who sealed the victory for the Red Warriors with two successful free throws on the other end – putting the game out of reach with just 4.4 seconds left.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“I will give credit sa boys ko because, during our practice, I saw the intensity already. I just told them we just need to have a good start and – as much as possible – keep the game close, and the boys responded very well,” said Red Warriors head coach Jack Santiago.
This victory not only marked a significant achievement for the men’s team but also capped a fantastic day for UE.
Earlier in the day, the Lady Warriors ended a 40-game skid by defeating the Lady Archers, 65-47.
With this win, the Red Warriors improved to 2-2, sharing fourth place with Adamson University.
“Going back sa previous games namin against UST at UP, we came up very flat sa first quarter. I told the team we cannot afford to have a flat start with La Salle. I’m so happy with the boys kasi talagang gusto nila manalo,” said Santiago.
Abate led the scoring with 20 points, showcasing an impressive 6-of-7 shooting from the field.
Wello Lingolingo also shone, contributing 18 points, including six three-pointers.
Wilson added 10 points, while Galang made significant contributions with seven points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a block.
Looking ahead, UE aims to secure three consecutive wins on Saturday against National University at the same Pasay venue.
Meanwhile, La Salle, now 3-1, finds itself tied with University of Santo Tomas for second place.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Quiambao paced the Green Archers off the bench with 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
However, struggled with his shooting, going 6-of-17 from the field and making just one of his eight three-point attempts.
Phillips supported the effort with 16 points, nine rebounds, five steals, and two blocks, while Vhoris Marasigan added 10 points.
La Salle will seek to rebound on Wednesday against the winless Far Eastern University at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
UE 75 – Abate 20, Lingolingo 18, Wilson 10, Galang 7, Maga 7, Momowei 5, Cruz-Dumont 5, Fikes 3, Jimenez 0, Mulingtapang 0, Malaga III 0.
DLSU 71 – Quiambao 17, Phillips 16, Marasigan 10, Agunanne 8, Gollena 6, Macalalag 5, Gonzales 3, Davis 2, Dungo 2, Abadam 2, Ramiro 0.
Quarterscores: 28-11, 42-38, 56-50, 75-71.
