Dave Ildefonso sizzled at crunch time as National University (NU) cut University of Santo Tomas (UST) to size, 69-61, in Season 81 University Athletic Association of the Philippine men’s basketball action on Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
With the Growling Tigers threatening to pull a surprise late in the game, the Bulldogs went to Ildefonso, who scattered seven of his team-high 16 points in the pivotal fourth quarter to keep themselves in the Final Four race with an improved 3-6 won-lost record.
Ildefonso has been playing superb in his rookie year and added four rebounds and three assists in the victory against the Tigers. Forward Troy Rike added 13 points, six boards and four assists in 30 minutes of action for NU.
NU Head Coach Jamike Jarin deflected the credit as his team swept the young but talent-laden UST squad in the two-round eliminations. The Bulldogs scored a 75-70 win over the España-based squad on September 8.
“It’s not me, it’s just the 16 players responding right now and I have the two [Ildefonso and Rike] here who have shined the brightest,” Jarin said. “They should get all the support and acknowledges.”
After the first half that saw NU handing on to a 33-32 edge, the Bulldogs uncorked a 20-point outburst capped by Dave Yu’s trey that made it 53-42 before the payoff period.
UST made it to a one-point game midway the final quarter as Renzo Subido torched the net with three triples that highlighted the team’s blazing 14-4 rally.
But there was Ildefonso, who delivered seven clutch point in an 8-2 assault that put the Bulldogs in a safe distance with less than three minutes left.
Jarin said that his Bulldogs must sharpen up before they meet the league-leader Ateneo Blue Eagles next Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Hopefully we get the same result because this performance is not enough against Ateneo,” Jarin noted.
John Lloyd Clemente and Issa Gaye were the other double-digit scorers from NU with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Subido led UST with 18 points built on five three-pointers, while Marvin Lee and Zachary Huang added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
With their three-game win streak halted, the Growling Tigers dropped to their fifth setback in nine games.
Juan Gomez de Liaño stuffed together 15 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists as University of the Philippine (UP) beat University of the East (UE), 94-81, in Sunday’s other game.
De Liaño’s first triple-double was the league’s first in 12 seasons since fellow Fighting Maroon Marvin Cruz’s 22-11-10 in 2006.
With only Bright Akhuetie and Paul Desiderio connecting in the first half, the Fighting Maroons found themselves trailing, 41-44, at the break. But de Liaño scattered 11 points in the second half and conspired with the Nigerian big man for a major turnaround in the final 20 minutes.
“More than the win, it was the effort in the second half that made us believe that we can compete this season,” UP Head Coach Bo Perasol said. “That second half just proved that if we can get our act together, we can spring up some victories.”
Akhuetie finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, while Desiderio registered 16 points and eight boards for the Fighting Maroons, who improved to 4-5.
As expected, star forward Alvin Pasaol dazzled for 30 points and nine rebounds for UE, which is now in a 1-8 hole.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza