UP pads playoff push with victory over NU
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons padded their playoff push in UAAP Season 82 with an 80-77 victory over the National University Bulldogs on Wednesday.
Holding solo second in the ongoing tournament of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines entering the contest, the Maroons (8-4) strengthened its hold on the spot with a steady performance against the already-eliminated Bulldogs (2-10) that gave them the key victory.
Kobe Paras led the even attack of UP in the win, finishing with 19 points and six assists, with Bright Akhuetie winding up with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The contest was tight at the start before Kobe Paras provided a late basket in the opening quarter to give his team a 13-11 advantage after the first 10 minutes.
In the second frame the Maroons further picked things up.
They would outscore the Bulldogs 13-1 in the first four minutes to take a 14-point lead, 26-12.
But Dave Ildefonso and the Bulldogs responded with a 13-2 blast after to come to within three points, 28-25.
Akhuetie and Juan Gomez De Liano though would conspire to push UP to another end-quarter push to create wider distance of 32-25 at the halftime break.
The two teams continued to grind it out in the third canto but the Maroons would maintain control of the match, 56-51, heading into final frame.
In the fourth quarter Paras And Co. tried to sprint away from Bulldogs but the latter did not relent on its bite, staying with striking distance of the Maroons and angling to overturn things.
NU was just down by two points, 79-77, with 11.5 seconds left after Shaun Ildefonso drained two points from the free throw stripe.
It would not come any closer than that though as UP held on for the win after.
Guard Jun Manzo had 14 points while Gomez De Liano had all-around numbers of 11 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals for UP, which with the win already earned at least a playoff for a spot in the Final Four.
NU’s Dave Ildefonso led all game scorers with 24 points with teammate JV Gallego adding 20 and Migs Oczon 12 points.
“The expectations are a little higher than that,” said coach Bo Perasol when asked postgame if they are satisfied now that they are on the fringes of the playoffs.
“But we have to count our blessings. We can’t go to the highest point of the competition if we can’t get to the next level,” added the coach, who is angling to get UP back in the finals for a second straight year and try to complete an unfinished business.
UP plays its penultimate game of the elimination round on Oct. 27 against the De La Salle Green Archers while NU returns to action on Oct. 26 versus undefeated defeating champions Ateneo Blue Eagles.
