UP Maroons nip NKNU five, stay in hunt

KAOHSIUNG CITY—National Kaohsiung Normal University brought along a multitude of supporters at Kaohsiung Arena confident of staging a celebration.

The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons sent the yellow-and-red-clad fans home disappointed.

Kyles Jefferson Lao had 21 points and Mikee Reyes added 14 as the Maroons frustrated the home team, 74-73, in the 2014 Buddha’s Light Cup University basketball tournament here Sunday.

Playmaker Henry Asilum made the difference in the stretch, drilling a tie-breaking three and joining Reyes to pull the Maroons out of harm’s way as the Taiwanese tried to reverse the outcome in the dying seconds.

By inflicting NKNU’s first defeat in four games, the Maroons improved to 2-2, in a tie with Renmin University of China, which surprisingly bowed to I-Shou University (3-1), another Kaohsiung-based collegiate squad.

NKNU placed second in the 2013 University Basketball Association Championship, Taiwan’s version of the UAAP.

“The team is a work in progress. We’ve learned a lot of lessons here that we can bring to the UAAP,” said UP Maroons team manager Dan Palami.

The Maroons could figure in the finals depending on the outcome of their game against South Korea’s Dan Kook University and the all-Taiwanese matchup between NKNU and I-Shou U.

“We sustained our defense throughout and quickened the pace in offense,” said UP coach Rey Madrid, who drew up the defensive strategy with his deputy, Poch Juinio, on NKNU’s big men.

The scores:

UP 74—Lao 21, Reyes 14, Asilum 11, Gallarza 6, Juruena 6, Vito 6, Bederi 6, Gingerich 2, Dario 2, Harris 0, Amar 0.

NKNU 73—Lee 14, Wang 11, Huang 9, Lin 8, Chen 7, Chou 7, Lou 6, Wu 6, Chan 3, Guo 2, Tang 0.

Quarters: 14-16, 34-37, 57-53,74-73