Serrano tallied a career-high 29 points while Melecio added 26 markers to power the Green Archers to a must-win game and end the first round with a 3-4 win-loss mark. #UAAP82

Encho Serrano (right) tallied a career-high 29 points. (LaSallian)

De La Salle University banked on the backcourt tandem of Encho Serrano and Aljun Melecio to coast to a 92-77 demolition of University of Santo Tomas (UST) Saturday in Season 82 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Serrano tallied a career-high 29 points while Melecio added 26 markers to power the Green Archers to a must-win game and end the first round with a 3-4 win-loss mark.

Jamie Malonzo contributed 13 markers for La Salle and helped in containing the Growling Tigers center Soulamane Chabi Yo, who was held down to a season-low 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field.

“We were due to win,” said Green Archers head coach Gian Nazario, whose team came from a heart-breaking 71-72 loss to University of the Philippines.

“The way the team has been practicing showed in today’s game. When our team follows the game plan, we trust (a good) result will follow after that,” he added.

La Salle’s win spoiled the career game of former Green Archer Brent Paraiso, who waxed hot early in the game and finished with a personal-best of 22 points, matching his total output when he last played for the Taft-based school two years ago.

Paraiso and Melecio had a scoring battle in the first half with the former getting some help from Malonzo to take a 42-32 halftime lead.

Then it was Serrano’s show in the second half for the Green Archers as he joined forces with Malonzo in a 12-3 run to erect a 79-61 advantage with 6:55 left in the game.

UST cut the lead to 13 after the layup from rookie Mark Nonoy, 80-67, but Melecio hit back-to-back treys to restore a comfortable 88-71 spread with two minutes remaining.

The Growling Tigers never recovered from Melecio’s assault to finish the first round with a 4-3 slate.

“This time around, we made sure that we will finish the game well and it’s something we’ve been preaching to our players,” said Nazario, referring to their end-game meltdown to the Fighting Maroons where they led majority of the match before Juan Gomez de Liano hit the game-winning triple.

Chabi Yo hauled down 14 rebounds while Nonoy and Rhenz Abando, who lost a tooth during one play in the second half, each had nine points.