'GERRY Shot.'
Over and over again, that's where the University of the Philippines went in a testy 'Battle of Katipunan' in the middle of the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday.
And over and over again, Gerry Abadiano made them, shooting the Fighting Maroons out of an early 18-point hole and into a 79-75 triumph over not-so-friendly neighbor Ateneo in the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball tournament.
On the back of Abadiano's three straight midrange jumpers from the right elbow, State U scored its first lead of the game, 60-58, at the 6:14 mark of the final frame.
"'Di lang talaga ako tumigil kasi kailangan ng team. 'Di ko naman hinahanap, dumating lang talaga nung fourth quarter," he said in his post-win interview.
Shawn Tuano's free throws then tied the tally for the Blue Eagles before Francis Nnoruka fired five straight points to put the defending champions back on top, 65-60, with 4:32 left.
Ateneo kept coming behind Jared Bahay and Kymani Ladi who shot them to just down two, 74-76, with 20.5 ticks to go only to see Abadiano keep them at bay once and for all with two free throws.
UP Top 2
In fighting off the Blue Eagles, the Maroons sealed the deal in their 10th win in the last 11 games coming from a 0-2 start to the season. They join league-leader National U as the two teams with twice-to-beat advantages in this ultracompetitive tournament.
Abadiano wound up dropping all but two of his 18 points in the final frame on top of three assists and two rebounds, while Nnoruka posted a 17-marker, 15-board double-double. Behind those two, UP outscored Ateneo, 31-21, in the fourth quarter to overcome a 7-23 hole in the second period.
"Seeing the team bounce back from the first half is good to see. Second half, buti nagkaroon kami ng mas energy," coach Goldwin Monteverde.
Already armed with a playoff bonus, the Fighting Maroons have a golden opportunity to claim the top seed if they beat La Salle on Saturday and the Bulldogs lose to University of Santo Tomas on Sunday.
Bahay left it all on the floor for Ateneo with 21 points built on five triples, as Ladi added 17 markers to go with eight rebounds.
Losers of eight of their last night following a promising beginning at 4-0, the Blue Eagles are on the brink of elimination. If so, this will be the second straight season they miss out on the playoff bus under multi-titled mentor Tab Baldwin.
The Scores:
UP 79 – Abadiano 18, Nnrouka 17, Bayla 8, Alarcon 8, Alter 7, Torres 7, Remogat 6, Stevens 6, Fortea 2, Yñiguez 0, Belmonte 0, Felicilda 0.
ATENEO 75 – Bahay 21, Ladi 17, Tuano 10, Espinosa 8, Adili 7, Escobar 6, Espina 4, Lazaro 2, Bongo 0, Lazo 0.
Quarters: 7-21, 29-38, 48-54, 79-75
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