NATIONAL University (NU) went to its bigs in dousing water on University of Santo Tomas’s (UST) upset bid, scoring a 91-83 victory that put the Bulldogs back on the winning track on Sunday in Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines seniors basketball action at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Bulldogs groped in the first half and found themselves trailing the cellar-dwelling Tigers, 40-43.
UST had momentum on its side and held on to the lead, 45-52, seven minutes left in the third quarter, only to falter against an NU uprising.
But 6-foot-8 Issa Gaye and 6-foot-3 Matt Salem drilled the pivotal baskets that turned the game in NU’s favor—allowing the Bulldogs to curb a two-game skid for a 4-6 won-lost record while pressing the Tigers deeper in the standings with a 0-10 card.
Salem’s back-to-back three-pointers and Gaye’s jumper sent NU to the driver’s seat, 53-51, 5:27 in the third, and the Bulldogs held fort to avoid the reputation of becoming the first team to bow to the Tigers this season.
Salem and Gaye added more bite to NU’s offense and headed a 16-7 breakaway that sent NU more comfortably ahead, 69-61, entering the fourth quarter.
Another 11-4 blast to open the fourth quarter gave NU its biggest lead of 15 points, 80-65, 7:29 to play.
UST threatened with its own 16-6 run—with Marvin Lee scoring eight—to cut the lead to five, 81-86, with three minutes to play.
But Gaye—and this time Nico Abatayo—sank back-to-back baskets for a 90-81 NU breather in the last two minutes.
Gaye and Salem finished with team-high 22 points each.
The Senegalese center Gaye also had six blocks, six rebounds, two assists and one steal, while the Filipino-American Salem had 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Abatayo added 10 points, as well as J-Jay Alejandro, who also had nine rebounds and eight assists.
NU played without Head Coach Jamike Jarin, who served a one-game suspension for incurring two technical fouls in their 72-85 lost to Ateneo last week.
But the Bulldogs found themselves in good hands under Assistant Coach and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Legend Danny Ildefonso.
Ildefonso, a two-time PBA Most Valuable Player and many time champion with San Miguel Beermen, was grateful for getting Jarin’s trust in the game.
“To be honest, I’m down there in coac hing),” Ildefonso said. “I was a bit nervous in the first half because coaching is really different from being a player. But our assistant coaches are great. We communicated well.”
UST formally crashed out of semifinals contention.
Steve Akomo made a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Lee finished with 15 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Wendell de Guzman and Caunan added 14 and 11 points, respectively, for UST.
Image credits: Stephanie Tumampos