WHETHER basketball or volleyball tournaments in the UAAP, La Salle had been a thorn on the side of National U in the past year.
That's why it had to feel good for the Bulldogs to take down the Green Archers, 70-64, on the strength of their now-signature balance, Sunday inside San Juan's Playtime Filoil Centre.
While it came in the 2026 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, some sort of payback was much welcome for NU, which was at the losing end of its UAAP Season 88 battles against La Salle - be it the basketball Final Four or the volleyball Finals.
Good thing then that this time around, the blue-and-gold had more than a few new wrenches to throw into the works, as Vince Reyes and Mac Alfanta had all but two of eight unanswered points that erased a one-point deficit and erected a 43-36 advantage at the 3:56 mark of the third quarter.
The Green Archers trimmed their deficit to just five entering the final frame only to see Dennis Laconsay, another first-year Bulldog, join in the fun with five points in a 13-3 counter that mounted a 62-47 edge with under five minutes remaining.
National U won't let go of both the lead and the momentum the rest of the way, as they joined three-time defending champion University of the Philippines atop the UAAP Group after the opener of the preseason tournament.
New-look NU
Even better, the Bulldogs sent a statement that they remain dead-set on continued contention even minus Jake Figueroa, Jolo Manansala, and Steve Nash Enriquez, all of whom are now showcasing their skills in the MPBL.
Reinhard Jumamoy was their lone entry into the double-digit scoring column with 15 points on top of five rebounds and two assists, but they also counted five players who contributed somewhere between seven and nine points.
Highlighting its depth and balance, National U's bench outdid its green-and-white counterpart, 39-26, as 13 of 15 players sent in by coach Jeff Napa scored at least a point.
The Green Archers, likewise now living life without longtime standard-bearer Mike Phillips, stumbled out the gates in the preseason tournament. Jacob Cortez and Mason Amos fronted their effort each with 13 points.
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