Surging NU: Bulldogs rip Tams, close 1st round on top

National University (NU) banked on its vaunted defensive pressure in the final half of the fourth period to bring down Far Eastern University (FEU), 69-65, and move to the top of the standings at the end of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 89 men’s basketball tournament first round on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Bulldogs kept the Tamaraws scoreless in the last four minutes and 45 seconds of the game on their way to their third straight victory.

NU improved to a 5-2 win-loss record tied with University of the Philippines but took the No. 1 spot after logging a better tiebreaker.

“It was our game in the second half. In the first half, we gave up too many possessions to FEU. Our mindset is that winners set standards. That’s what we need to address so that in the second round, we’ll be consistent. At least our players are now proving doubters wrong,” NU head coach Jeff Napa said.

Macmac Alfanta finished with 14 points, capped by a go-ahead jumper with 2:30 remaining in the match, to lead the Bulldogs, who rallied from nine points down in the first half.

PJ Palacielo scored 13 points and added eight rebounds, Tebol Garcia posted 13 markers while Reinhard Jumamoy chipped in 12 points and seven assists for NU. Paul Francisco had 10 points while foreign student-athlete Mo Diassana added 13 boards, seven markers and three blocks.

The Bulldogs held the suddenly skidding Tamaraws to just 18 points in the second half — just seven for the whole fourth period — proving the potency of their defense once done right.

“Of course, everything starts in practice. Whatever the coaches lay down for us, the intensity and competition that we give during practice, that’s where we get what we’re showing on court,” Palacielo said.

NU saw it’s 63-58 advantage after the first four minutes of the final period disappear after Jorick Bautista went on a solo 7-0 blast.

Bautista’s jumper with 4:45 left gave FEU a 55-53 advantage.

Diassana quickly woke the Bulldogs up from a sudden dry spell with a soaring two-handed alley-oop slamdunk off a perfect lob pass from Jumamoy in transition.

It sparked NU’s closing run with Alfanta hitting a jump shot before Palacielo pounded the ball down low for a turnaround jumper that gave the Bulldogs a 69-65 cushion with 1:53 left.

NU tightened the defensive screw from there and forced the Tamaraws to commit two costly turnovers in between a missed three-point attempt from reigning Most Valuable Player Janrey Pasaol.

“In the second round, we have to consistently follow what Coach Jeff (Napa) and our coaches tell us and focus on that,” Palacielo said.

“Happy that we got the win today but we can’t relax. Our focus on the next game. Move forward because what we did in the first round is all in the past now. We have to focus now on our next opponent,” he added.

FEU lost back-to-back games after stringing four straight wins, pulling the Tamaraws down to third to fourth tied with University of Santo Tomas with a 4-3 slate.

The Tamaraws took a 44-35 advantage with 2:01 left in the second quarter on a Pasaol three-pointer.

FEU was up, 47-39, entering the intermission but lost steam in the second half as NU locked in on defense.

Rookie Cabs Cabonilas led the Tamaraws with 14 points, Pasaol had 10 markers while Mo Konateh added 10 points, 15 boards, four blocks, three steals and two assists in a lost cause.

Kirby Mongcopa had a slow nine-point, six-rebound production while Bautista scored all seven points in the fourth quarter but shot a low 3-of-16 from the field.