NATIONAL University showed University of the East no mercy and delivered a 100-81 beatdown on Thursday in the UAAP basketball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.
The win was an all-important one for the Bulldogs as they kept themselves in the running for a Final Four spot at 6-7 in the UAAP Season 84 men's basketball tournament, while also getting a huge confidence boost heading into their make-or-break game against La Salle on Sunday.
NU used a 31-point second quarter pullaway to take a 52-36 lead and went on cruise control from there, enjoying its biggest lead at 22, 100-78, after a Jolo Manansala split with 50.6 seconds left.
Janjan Felicilda and the Bulldogs score their sixth win of the season.
Enzo Joson paced the balanced attack for the Bulldogs with 15 points on 3-of-4 shooting from deep, to go with three rebounds, two assists, and one steal as all but one of the 15 players deployed in this game scored.
Shaun Ildefonso added 12 points, Germy Mahinay got 11 points and six boards, and Manansala had nine points and nine rebounds in the win.
"Maganda yung balik namin coming four games na straight losses," said coach Jeff Napa.
"At least magandang bwelo ito coming to Sunday's game against La Salle. Di kami pwede maging complacent kasi wala na sa kamay namin yung sitwasyon sa Final Four. We have to be consistent."
Harvey Pagsanjan had 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one block for the Warriors, winless through 13 games.
The scores:
NU 100 - Joson 15, Ildefonso 12, Mahinay 11, Manansala 9, Figueroa 9, Enriquez 8, Malonzo 6, Clemente 6, Flores 5, Torres 5, Felicilda 4, Galinato 4, Yu 4, Tibayan 2, Gaye 0.
UE 81 - Pagsanjan 16, Escamis 15, Lorenzana 14, J. Cruz 11, N. Paranada 10, K. Paranada 7, Guevarra 3, Sawat 2, Pascual 2, Beltran 1, Antiporda 0, Villanueva 0, Tulabut 0, Abatayo 0.
Quarterscores: 21-20; 52-36; 77-58; 100-81.
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