Still in the hunt: Bulldogs target top two finish after beating UST
The National University Bulldogs have assured themselves of at least a playoff for remaining Final Four spots with a 75-64 victory over the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, Wednesday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Stuck in a tight battle in a game they needed to win, the Bulldogs went in a 12-3 run midway through the fourth quarter to brush the Tigers aside.
Jay Javelona started the attack with back-to-back threes and the Tigers never recovered. From a 58-all tie with 8:11 left in the game, NU quickly built a 70-61 lead with 4:32 left in the game.
Gelo Alolino led NU with 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Aside from him, four other Bulldogs scored in double digits. NU got limited contributions from their imports Alfred Aroga and Henry Betayene who only combined for eight points and 12 rebounds but the two did a decent job at controlling UST’s Karim Abdul.
The Tiger import still led his squad with 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists while adding five steals and five blocks but his superhuman effort once again fell short of a victory. Ed Daquioag shot a miserable 4 of 16 from the field to score 13 points. Rookie Henri Subido chipped in 11 points in only 12 minutes.
Even if the Tigers are already eliminated, they started the game like a team with a purpose. Playing for nothing else but pride, UST raced to a 14-4 lead halfway through the first quarter. However, NU buckled down to business to cut the deficit down to a single point, 19-18, after the first ten minutes.
With Reden Celda sniping from the outside, The Bulldogs took a 40-37 lead at the half. The Tigers stayed close to the Bulldogs throughout the third quarter and even managed to tie the ball game early in the fourth but they ran our of steam in the end.
The Bulldogs tied the Green Archers at 9-4, just ahead of the Red Warriors who are at 8-5. NU will close out the second round of eliminations against La Salle with the winner facing the loser of the FEU-Ateneo match in a virtual best-of-three series for a finals slot. The loser will then either get the fourth spot if UE loses to UST or battle for it against the Warriors if defeat the Tigers.
The Main Man: Alolino’s steady presence throughout the game gave NU the poise they needed even if they played far from their normal form. Alolino statistics were not gaudy but his leadership was crucial.
Honorable Mentions: Celda was huge, specially from the three point range, as he chipped in 13 points. Forwards Glenn Khobuntin and Troy Rosario added a combined 22 points and 20 rebounds.
Game Turning Point: NU’s 12-3 run in the third quarter turned what was an uncomfortable battle against UST into a sure victory. Javelona’s twin triples were painful for UST but it was NU’s fourth quarter defense that really allowed them to pull away.
He Said It:
NU head coach Eric Altamirano: It was sloppy game for us. I wasn't happy, but a win is a win.
The scores:
NU 75: Alolino 14, Celda 13, Khobuntin 12, Javelona 11, Rosario 10, Diputado 5, Aroga 4, Betayene 4, Perez 2, Atangan 0, Alegandro 0.
UST 64: Abdul 15, Daquioag 13, Subido 11, Mariano 9, Vigil 7, Sheriff 4, Lao 3, Pe 2, Lo 0, Faundo 0, Gayosa 0, Basibas 0.
Quarters: 18-19, 40-37, 58-54, 75-64.
