UM continues strong Naascu run, trips AMA

MANILA—University of Manila opened its second round assault with a 71-68 triumph over AMA Computer, even as STI and Centro Escolar also scored victories of their own against separate rivals Friday in the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (Naascu) men’s basketball at the Makati Coliseum.

Jeff Alvin Viernes led the Hawks with 18 points, while Jay-Ar Manuel and Eugene Torres added 17 and 16 points, respectively. Manuel also had for 19 rebounds as UM hiked its league-best win-loss tally to 9-1 anchored on a nine-game winning streak.

The Titans, who narrowly made the second round, dropped their sixth game in 10 outings.

Last year’s runner-up STI defeated Fatima, 74-52, in the second game to improve its record to 8-2 in the second round, where the field has been trimmed to six teams from 10 in the first round. The Phoenix dropped to 6-4.

The day’s most explosive game belonged to the fight-marred Centro Escolar-Informatics match won by the Scorpions, 70-68.

Informatics’ Erick Acuna and Mark Limpat were ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, and were quickly meted one-game suspensions effective Tuesday.