OF COURSE, it just had to go to overtime.
And that's when La Salle leaned on Luis Pablo, Joaquin Tovera, and Mason Amos to shoot it to a hardfought 76-73 victory vs. archrival Ateneo in their second UAAP Season 89 showdown on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Green Archers took control of the extra period after Pablo scored on a putback then a layup before Tovera buried a fadeaway for a 72-66 cushion.
Amos added a three-pointer to re-establish a six-point green-and-white lead, 75-69, with 1:39 remaining, but Kieffer Alas refused to let the Blue Eagles go quietly.
The Rookie of the Year frontrunner had back-to-back hits to keep Ateneo coming to within two, 75-73, only to see La Salle stiffen up on defense and allow no more makes.
That allowed the Green Archers to get by despite muffing on all but one of their freebies in the last 17 seconds - in the process claiming solo third by improving to 6-4.
“Well, when it went into overtime, we just reminded everybody about what we've discussed before the game,” head coach Topex Robinson said.
“We talked about our dreams. In every moment, the strongest team will win that moment.”
La Salle goes up, Ateneo goes down
Tovera put up a big night in injured Jacob Cortez' stead after finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and one steal before sustaining a sprained right ankle at the 40 second mark of overtime.
JC Macalalag also tallied 11 markers, three boards, and two steals while Amos, Agunanne, and Doy Dungo added eight points each.
“During pre-game, coach mentioned that, you know, embrace the hardship. So the game went to overtime and during those moments, inisip ko lang na yung sinabi ni coach na embrace the hardship,” Macalalag said.
Pablo’s two crucial baskets turned out to be his only and biggest field goals, ending with five points, seven rebounds, and one assist.
Meanwhile, Bahay and Alas paced the Blue Eagles each with 18 points, while Shawn Tuano and Travis Roberts chipped in 12 markers apiece.
The archrivals entered the game tied at 50 wins apiece in their 100 face-offs, making this latest installment a golden opportunity to take the slight edge in their storied rivalry.
The Scores:
LA SALLE 76 - Tovera 21, Macalalag 11, Dungo 8, Agunanne 8, Amos 8, Marasigan 6, Pablo 5, Abadam 5, Quines 2, Gagate 2, M. Cortez 0.
ATENEO 73- Bahay 18, Alas 18, Tuano 12, Roberts 12, Kapihe 6, Baruwa 3, Espinosa 2, Rogers 2, Bongo 0, Cainglet 0, Espina 0, Leal 0.
Quarters: 17-20, 41-37, 51-48, 66-66, 76-73
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