By Jun Ray Navarres
De La Salle University secured the no. 1 spot in the UAAP S87 Men’s Basketball after trampling on rival University of the Philippines, 77-66, Sunday evening at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The defending champions, showcasing their dominance with a 12-1 record, overwhelmed the Fighting Maroons. This latest victory marked their fourth consecutive win, dating back to the Season 86 finals.
La Salle will cap the elimination against the earlier eliminated National University on Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
“It’s about everybody. It’s about the team. Guys were just ready to compete again, what we always say as one of the best teams in college. We tried our best to be at par and compete against them. Credit to these guys for really competing and not giving up in the second half,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.
UP started strong, going on a 15-2 run to build a significant lead, 37-26. However, DLSU clawed their way back, with Kevin Quiambao’s three-pointer sparking a 14-7 run to cut the deficit, 40-43 at the half.
Then on, it was only JD Cagulangan against the whole squad of Green Archers.
The Fighting Maroons co-captain ignited the second half with a fiery 11-point performance but even his brilliance was eclipsed by the relentless force of the defending champions.
Kevin Quiambao, JC Macalalag, and Joshua David traded baskets with UP, before David’s fastbreak layup pushed La Salle’s lead to double digits, 73-62 with 1:42 left.
“Coming into this game, different mindset pero same approach pa rin. Hindi ako pwedeng magmukmok kung ano yung performance ko last game. Go with the flow lang ako, hindi ko na iniisip kung ano ‘yung magiging performance ko basta manalo kami this game,” said Quiambao.
The reigning MVP bounced back from a 2-of-17 shooting performance against FEU, contributing 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Mike Phillips closely followed with 14 points and 10 rebounds while David tallied 12 points and seven boards.
Meanwhile, Cagulangan dropped 22 points, along with six rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
UP suffered its second straight loss and dropped to 9-3.
Images courtesy of UAAP Media Bureau
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