By Jun Ray Navarres
De La Salle University avenged their first-round loss to the University of Santo Tomas, securing a crucial 86-77 victory in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena .
The hard-fought win extended DLSU’s winning streak to three games, bolstering their bid for a Final Four spot.
“We know how strong UST is right now. They are really playing tremendous basketball. We just made sure that we’re gonna be coming in confident knowing we prepared for whatever UST will throw at us,” said Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson.
The Green Archers started with a strong 9-3 run to secure an early 19-12 advantage and eventually led 52-36 at the half with a decisive 28-point second quarter.
However, the Growling Tigers, led by Nigerian rookie Collins Akowe and Gelo Crisostomo, refused to fold.
The host team chipped away at the massive deficit, cutting the lead to just six points, 76-70, with less than three minutes in the final period after a clutch three-pointer by Crisostomo.
But the Tigers’ rally was ultimately stifled by the timely heroics of EJ Gollena and JC Macalalag.
Gollena drained two crucial three-pointers from the corner — including one immediately following Crisostomo’s three — to give La Salle the breathing room they desperately needed, 79-70.
Macalalag, who has been playing with a mask due to a nose injury, delivered his best performance of the season, leading the Green Archers with 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
“Kitang kita naman sa preparation namin for this game, ‘yung intensity, ‘yung focus during training nandoon. Masarap lang sa pakiramdam na ‘yung mga kasama mo prepared and willing ibigay lahat ng kaya nila,” shared Macalalag.
Gollena finished with a solid 8 points, including his two momentum-shifting triples, and four boards.
Also, Jacob Cortez contributed 12 points, while Vhoris Marasigan and Francis Abadam also hit double digits with 10 points each.
For the Growling Tigers, Akowe was a force inside, posting a double-double with a game-high 20 points and 14 rebounds. Crisostomo added 15 points and eight rebounds, but their efforts weren’t enough to prevent UST from absorbing their second consecutive loss.
The win improves DLSU’s record to 5-3, maintaining a slim lead over the competition for the fourth spot, while the Growling Tigers drop to 5-3, slipping behind NU in the standings.
Featured image courtesy of UAAP Media Bureau
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