La Salle shoots down UP, ends first round on top

Defending champion De La Salle University put University of the Philippines’ hot six-game win run to a screeching halt with a strong fourth quarter storm for a 68-56 victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball tournament late Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.        

The Green Archers reasserted their mastery over the same team it defeated in last year’s finale to end the first round on top of the standings with a 6-1 win-loss record.

Reigning Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao led the assault with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds as La Salle denied the Fighting Maroons, who slipped to second place, a first-ever first round sweep.  

Joshua David finished with 14 markers while JC Macalalag added seven in the Green Achers’ third straight win.

La Salle opened the fourth quarter with a 14-7 blitz to turn a five-point end of third lead to a 65-58 advantage after a Quiambao triple with 3:45 left.

Another dagger trey by David in the last 52.8 ticks of the game sealed the coffin of the Fighting Maroons, whose dream of sweeping the opening round was shattered for a second straight season.

“We’re just very happy about how things turned out. We know it’s gonna be a grind-out game. We know it’s gonna be a game of turns. We’re able to weather the storm,” La Salle deputy Gian Nazario said.

“We all know what UP can do and capable of doing. We’re just happy the players responded.”

The game got a little testy late in the third quarter as tempers from both coaching staff flared which resulted in a shouting match. Cooler heads pacified the situation from escalating.   

Both sides escaped with just a warning.

The Fighting Maroons dismantled a 20-point first half deficit with a huge 22-5 run that bridged from the second quarter until five minutes into the third period to cut it down to 40-37 after a Quentin Millora-Brown tip-in.

Harold Alarcon tied it at 42 with 2:31 left in the third before Lian Ramiro sparked a 9-4 closing run for a five-point cushion heading into the payoff period.

La Salle’s outside arrows found their mark in the first half, hitting seven triples that fueled its pull away.

Joshua David connected with three triples, Quiambao knocked down two while Lian Ramiro hit one which gave the Green Archers their biggest lead, 35-15, with 4:13 left in the second canto.

UP, however, closed the first half strong, stringing a 10-3 run to cut its deficit to 38-25 at the break.        

Alarcon carried the scoring and leadership role with veteran guard JD Cagulangan out for a second straight game due to an illness, finishing with 19 points. Millora-Brown had 10 markers and 10 boards while Francis Lopez got eight points.

The scores:

La Salle (68) – Quiambao 20, David 14, Macalalag 7, Ramiro 5, Abadam 5, Marasigan 5, Phillips 4, Gollena 4, Austria 2, Agunanne 2, Gonzales 0.

UP (56) – Alarcon 19, Millora-Brown 10, Lopez 8, Torres 6, Belmonte 5, Fortea 5, Abadiano 2. Bayla 1, Stevens 0, Felicilda 0, Torculas 0, Ududo 0.

Quarters: 19-13, 38-25, 51-46, 68-56.