23 October 2019
By Maxine Louise Lagman
MANILA, Philippines – University of the Philippines powers through another tough competitor at that of the National University, 80-77, on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for a playoff spot in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament.
With the win, the Fighting Maroons stays at second spot with an 8-2 win-loss record and are now assured of a playoff spot for a place in the Final Four.
It was not an easy win for UP, however, as the Bulldogs never backed down until the last seconds of the match.
UP’s seven-point lead at the half, 32-25, was eventually cut down to five in the third quarter as Dave Ildefonso led his squad keep it close. NU managed to cut the lead down to two in the last 11.5 seconds of the game, 79-77, after two freebies courtesy of Shaun Ildefonso.
But, it also proved to be NU’s last score as Jun Manzo got his own share from the stripe and UP’s defense intercepted Dave Ildefonso’s three-pointer to fully clinch the win.
“No matter what happens, we cannot predict what happens in the game. There may be runs, we may have a bad defensive day, but in the end, what’s important is how we win in the end,” said UP head coach Bo Perasol post-game. “Yun lang naman ang importante.”
Kobe Paras led the Fighting Maroons with 19 points, six assists, and four rebounds, while Bright Akhueti chipped in a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double. Manzo also had 14 points, while Juan Gomez de Liano had a double-double record of 11 markers and 11 boards on top of six dimes, and two steals in the win.
For NU, Dave Ildefonso had a game-high 24 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals in the losing effort as they dropped to a 2-10 slate.
The Scores:
UP 80 – Paras 19, Akhuetie 16, Manzo 14, Ju. Gomez de Liano 11, Rivero 8, Webb 5, Ja. Gomez de Liano 4, Prado 3, Gozum 0, Jaboneta 0, Murrell 0, Tungcab 0.
NU 77 – D. Ildefonso 24, Gallego 20, Oczon 12, S. Ildefonso 10, Gaye 6, Joson 2, Minerva 2, Galinato 1, Clemente 0, Diputado 0, Malonzo 0, Mangayao 0, Rangel 0, Yu 0.
QUARTER SCORES: 13-11, 32-25, 56-51, 80-77.
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