Other scores Saturday:
Mapua vs Arellano: 92-76
SSC-R vs JRU: 91-83
St. Benilde vs. San Beda : 96-87
UNIVERSITY of the Philippines pulled away in the fourth quarter versus the National University Bulldogs to collect its second consecutive win in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, 72-65, Saturday in San Juan.
UP vs NU Filoil recap
Harold Alarcon provided the buckets for UP down the stretch, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the final frame. The veteran guard also got it done on the defensive side of the ball, grabbing three steals in the win.
Malick Diouf aided in scoring by chalking up 14 markers of his own.
It was a back-and-forth affair for the first three quarters until the Fighting Maroons found their rhythm defensively, only allowing the Sampaloc-based squad to score 13 points in the fourth quarter.
After the game, UP head coach Goldwyn Monteverde applauded his boys for the in-game adjustments they made on both sides of the ball which ultimately scored them the victory.
“Actually, until the third [quarter], ang depensa namin was kind of off. Maraming shots na binigay. At least in the fourth quarter, nag-improve kami sa defense and at the same time making good decisions on offense.”
The UP mentor also praised Alarcon for his continuous improvements coming into his third season for the Fighting Maroons.
“He’s been taking shots that he’s been really working on. Malaki talaga improvement niya, but for sure, he’s going to continue working hard.”
For NU, it was Patrick Yu who led the team in production, scoring 16 points to go along with three steals. Swingman Jolo Manansala contributed a double-double in NU’s losing efforts, posting numbers of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The scores:
UP 72 - Alarcon 16, Diouf 14, Abadiano 8, Cagulangan 7, Cansino 7, Belmonte 5, Lopez 5, Pablo 5, Torculas 3, Andrews 2, Andres 0, Briones 0, Felicilda 0, Gagate 0, Torres 0,
NU 65 - Yu 16, Manansala 12, Diassana 7, Clemente 6, Palacielo 6, Enriquez 5, Jumamoy 4, Malonzo 4, Lim 3, Padrones 2, Baclaan 0, Galinato 0, Parks 0, Perciano 0.
Quarterscores: 17-20, 38-38, 54-52, 72-65
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