By Maxine Louise Lagman
Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and De La Salle University (DLSU) picked up their second consecutive win on the second day of UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday, March 29.
UE vs AdU
Adamson University (AdU) whipped University of the East (UE), 82-66, to nail their first win in the UAAP men’s basketball.
Jerom Lastimosa fired 11 points in a 19-4 run to start the game, and never looked back.
“It’s a process. As long as we take the right steps towards the right direction, we’ll be good,” said Adamson head coach Nash Racela.
Lastimosa led the Soaring Falcons with 14 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting, while Keith Zaldivar finished with 11 markers.
Harvey Pagsanjan led UE with a game-high 17 points and eight rebounds, but his efforts were not enough as the Red Warriors dropped to a 0-2 standing.
ADMU vs FEU
Defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles soared to their second win after escaping the Far Eastern University (FEU), 79-70.
“Really tough game,” said Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin. “But you always get that with Olsen [Racela] and his team. They’re just a tough organization and they don’t give anything away easily and that was the case again today.”
Tyler Tio led a 16-point run that gave Ateneo a 23-point lead in the third quarter, but FEU saw a 9-0 blast thanks to the combined efforts of Emman Ojuola and RJ Abarrientos to cut down their deficit in the final frame to six, 66-72.
Dave Ildefonso stopped the bleeding for the Blue Eagles with a booming triple, and paved the way for another win.
Tio finished with 17 points, while Ange Kouame had nine markers and 11 rebounds for a 2-0 standing in the tournament.
On the other hand, Abarrientos led FEU with 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Ojuola added a 15-point, 17-rebound double-double. FEU is now at 1-1 in the league.
NU vs DLSU
De La Salle University (DLSU) banked on its newest recruit Mark Nonoy and veteran Justine Baltazar to beat the dynamic University of the East (UE) in a thriller, 59-55.
Down by three early in the fourth quarter, Nonoy and Baltazar collaborated for a 14-4 explosion to take a seven-point lead with 3:27 left, 56-49. UE was limited to just six points in the last 3:04 of the match, as the Green Archers sailed to victory.
“We lost our concentration. We made a lot of mistakes. But I think we really worked hard for this win,” said La Salle head coach Derrick Pumaren.
Nonoy had 13 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Baltazar added 13 markers, seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Mike Malonzo was the sole Red Warrior to get double figures with 10 points.
UP vs UST
University of the Philippines (UP) clinched their first win of the season as it conquered University of Santo Tomas (UST), 98-82
Down by as much as 13 points in the first half, Fil-Am recruit Zav Lucero spearheaded the Fighting Maroon’s comeback in the third quarter with a much-need back-to-back baskets to tie the game at 48.
UP did not stop there and went for a 36-15 run for a 78-63 lead heading into the final frame. The Growling Tigers were not able to gain momentum as UP stretched their lead by as much as 21 points.
“Yun talaga threat namin in a way, yung pressing defense namin,” said UP coach Goldwin Monteverde. “The most important thing for me dito is nakita ko yung bounce back namin in the previous game and during this game.”
Ricci Rivero led UP with 19 points, while Lucero finished with 18 points on an 9-of-14 from the field, along with eight rebounds, three steals, two steals, two assists, and a block.
Carl Tamayo also contributed 18 markers, and eight rebounds that boosted UP for a 1-1 standing in the tournament.
Meanwhile, UST remained winless despite Sherwin Concepcion leading the team with 19 points, and five rebounds.
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