By Maxine Louise Lagman
The UAAP Season 84 is back in action after a two-year break amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with all eight league member schools battling it out at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, March 26.
FEU vs UST
The Far Eastern University (FEU) whipped the University of Santo Tomas (UST), 76-51 at the opening game of the tournament.
Gilas Pilipinas standout and rookie RJ Abarrientos headed the Tamaraws with his three-point shooting skills that led to a 47-18 lead at the half. He continued on the winning cruise in the second half, finishing with a team-high 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
“We have more things to prepare kaya pagdating namin sa dorm trabaho ulit kaming coaches pati players,” said FEU head coach Olsen Racela.
The newly-formed and rookie-driven Growling Tigers, on the other hand, was led by key transferee Joshua Fontanilla with 19 points. Sherwin Concepcion, who proved to be a breakout three-point shooter in Season 82, was held at only seven markers, and five boards.
AdU vs NU
Rookie guard Janjan Felicilda paved the way for the National University to beat the Adamson University in a 71-69 victory.
Felicilda finished with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Robert Minerva and John Lloyd Clemente helped seal the deal with eight points each.
NU looked to win the game smoothly after leading by 14 points, 48-34, in the third quarter, but the Soaring Falcons managed to cut the lead thanks to veteran point guard Jerom Lastimosa and Jake Figueroa.
But Ricky Peromingan failed to score two crucial free throws and a mid-range jumper in the final minutes of the game that led to NU’s first win of the season. Ahmed Hanapi finished with a game-high 20 points, while Lastimosa had 18 markers.
ADMU vs UP
In the first ‘Battle of Katipunan’ this season, defending champion Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) began their four-peat UAAP title bid by defeating the University of the Philippines (UP), 90-81.
The Blue Eagles went on a 19-5 run to widen the gap at 65-46 in the third quarter. Although the Fighting Maroons tried for a late comeback, a triple from Gilas stalwart SJ Belangel sealed the win for Ateneo.
“We were delighted to target a win in that game. We really went into it not knowing how we would perform, not knowing how UP would perform, so we’re delighted with the win,” said Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin.
Dave Ildefonso, who returns to Ateneo after a stint with NU, scored a team-high 19 points on a 7-of-14 shooting along with six rebounds. The return of veteran Raffy Verano also boosted Ateneo with his 18 markers and five boards.
CJ Cansino, who had a controversial exit from UST, proved his worth on his debut game with UP, finishing with a game-high 21 points, five rebounds, and three steals in just 19 minutes off the bench.
DLSU vs UE
The De La Salle University (DLSU) escaped with a 71-66 win against the University of the East (UE).
With both teams showcasing fresh faces, the player that stood out was Schonny Winston, who boosted La Salle with a game-high 22 points, six rebounds, and three steals, while Gilas star big man Justine Baltazar added a 12-marker, 11 board double-double for the win.
The Green Archers were banking on a comfortable 18-point lead, 47-29 before halftime, when the Red Warriors went on a huge 16-4 run to close the gap within four, 61-55, off a pair of free throws from guard Clint Escamis.
Former San Beda guard Evan Nelle stopped the bleeding for La Salle with a triple for a 70-61 lead, paving the way for their first win.
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