BULLSEYE! La Salle sends Ateneo crashing; NU prevails

Games on Saturday:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

3 p.m. — UST vs NU

5:30 p.m. — FEU vs Ateneo

Another classic added to the storied rivalry.

Defending champion De La Salle University held off Ateneo de Manila University’s fourth-quarter fightback to walk away with an 83-76 victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 89 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Jacob Cortez, Mason Amos and JC Macalalag drained timely baskets in the Green Archers’ massive 13-6 closing run to silence the Blue Eagles after they closed in by just two points in the final four and a half minutes.

La Salle won its second straight match as it snapped Ateneo’s back-to-back romp to its victim and National University (nU) in the crowded second spot with 3-2 win-loss slates.

Rookie Joaquin Tovera and JC Macalalag finished with 15 points each, Cortez added 12 markers, five assists and three rebounds while Doy Dungo got 10 points for the Green Archers. Amos chipped in six points and pulled down eight rebounds.

Grayson Rogers’ completed three-point play cut La Salle’s lead to 72-70 with 4:34 left in the game.

Tovera answered with a pair of splits from the line before Macalalag drained three free throws followed by a cold-blooded three-pointer by Amos.

Shawn Tuano stopped the Blue Eagles’ bleeding but Cortez drained a trey to bring La Salle’s lead back to 11 with 2:16 left as the Green Archers held on.

Tuano had 17 points, Jared Bahay added 14 while rookie Kieffer Alas was limited to just five points on 2-of-11 shooting for Ateneo.

The Blue Eagles went up, 55-48, in the third quarter after Travis Roberts converted a free throw off a technical foul on Vhoris Marasigan with 6:28 left.

La Salle refused to get buried deeper and countered with a telling 15-7 closing barrage to enter the final period with a slim, 63-62, advantage.

Meanwhile, NU quickly recovered from a setback, dominating Adamson University 85-66 in the curtain-raiser.

A scorching 24-9 start allowed the Bulldogs to control the game as they cruised to their third win in five outings.

NU bounced back mightily from an 11-point loss to Ateneo last Saturday.

It was a convincing win on paper but head coach Jeff Napa was far from satisfied, especially with the 13 three-pointers his wards allowed the Falcons to convert.