HOOPS
Down to three
La Salle, UST stay alive in Final Four race
Games on 22 November:
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
2:30 p.m. — FEU vs NU
5 p.m. — UP vs La Salle
The race for the remaining Final Four seats narrowed down to just three contenders.
Defending champion De La Salle University eliminated first-round tormentor Adamson University in a Final Four race in a brutal 84-69 payback victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Luis Pablo sparked the Green Archers’ strong first half, setting the tone for a dominant win that propelled La Salle to a 7-5 win-loss record and a share of third with Far Eastern University (FEU).
Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas (UST) survived a fourth-quarter scare before knocking out Ateneo de Manila University from semifinals contention with an 89-84 win.
The Growling Tigers notched their third straight victory for a 7-6 record.
UST saw its 13-point lead at the start of the payoff period trimmed to just two, 76-74, after Jared Bahay drained a jumper with 5:35 left.
Collins Akowe and Mark Llemit gave the Tigers a little more breathing room before Amiel Acido connected a three-pointer for UST’s 86-78 lead with 33 seconds left.
Things got chippy in the last 21.6 seconds, with the Tigers protecting a five-point advantage, as Blue Eagle Shawn Tuano, UST’s Kirk Canete, Bahay and Akowe figured in a shoving match before cooler heads prevailed.
Akowe and Acido put the game away from the foul line as the Tigers sent the Kieffer Alas-less Ateneo packing with a 5-8 record.
Llemit scored 20 points, Acido had 19 markers and Akowe finished with 16 points and nine rebounds for UST.
Ateneo played sans Alas because of a severe allergy and without head coach Louie Alas, who served the last of his two-game suspension.
Bahay had 17 points and eight assists while Waki Espina chipped in 16 markers in a wasted effort for the Blue Eagles.
The fight for the two remaining Final Four seats has turned into a three-way battle royale between La Salle, FEU and UST.
League-leading teams University of the Philippines and National University, which carry identical 9-3 slates, are already assured of Final Four berths and are focused on securing a twice-to-beat advantage.
Pablo scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half as the Green Archers built a commanding 48-26 lead by the intermission.
Graduating guard Jacob Cortez chipped in 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting, grabbed four rebounds, and added four steals for La Salle, which avenged its 60-63 loss to Adamson in the first round.