FOR the first time in six years, La Salle is getting a shot at the UAAP men’s basketball crown after a 97-73 rout of National University in the Final Four on Saturday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Mark Nonoy scored a team-high 20 points as the No. 2 seed and twice-to-beat Green Archers needed but one game to oust the third-seeded Bulldogs and move two wins away from their first title since 2016.
The Taft side has now won its last nine games dating back to its first-round finale versus University of the East — momentum it will bring to the first-ever finals between La Salle and the UP Maroons since the Archers joined the league in 1986.
READ: UP Maroons back in UAAP Finals after dethroning Ateneo Blue Eagles
"We came into this game knowing that NU will throw everything at us. Coach Jeff (Napa) and the rest of the (NU) coaching staff really did a tremendous job for them to be here. We just reminded everybody that we're going to go to the finals because we are gonna go and get it and not it being given us.
"We really have to earn every possesion from the jump ball up to that final buzzer and making sure that these guys will work together as a team. The breaks came our way, guys played the challenge, and just competed with NU," said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.
"Masaya and blessed na may opportunity na makapaglaro sa finals. Pero yung lagi ngang pinapaalala ni Coach Topex na maraming learnings na nakuha, especially nung first half. Pero moving on, kailangan naming mag-focus dun sa UP, and pahinga para ready sa Wednesday," added MVP frontrunner Kevin Quiambao, who had 17 points and eight boards.
It was a mighty efforts for the Archers with Nonoy and Quiambao conniving with Evan Nelle (15 points and eight dimes) and Michael Phillips (11 points and 10 boards) to fuel La Salle's rock-solid offense.
On a night when La Salle shot 51.4 percent from the field (26-of-44), NU's best efforts went for naught upon trailing by as much as 24 — making a difficult task per se much harder than they hoped for.
Moving forward, Robinson's first year at the helm ended La Salle's six-year absence in the title series after missing out on the Final Four in three of the last five seasons.
Consistent as they've been, however, the Bulldogs will settle for a third-place finish in back-to-back campaigns as their Finals drought extends to nine straight years since they last won the title in Season 77.
The scores:
DLSU (97) – Nonoy 20, Quiambao 17, Nelle 15, M. Phillips 11, Escandor 9, Policarpio 9, David 5, Cortez 4, Macalalag 4, Abadam 3, Austria 0, Gollena 0, Nwankwo 0.
NU (73) – Figueroa 19, Malonzo 13, Baclaan 12, Palacielo 8, Yu 8, Jumamoy 7, Galinato 2, Manansala 2, Padrones 2, John 0, Lim 0, Enriquez 0, Gulapa 0, Casinillo 0, Parks 0.
Quarterscores: 20-14, 45-36, 70-50, 97-73
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