NU scrapes past La Salle, stays alive in UAAP Final 4 race

Alfred Aroga. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

National University kept its title retention bid alive and stayed in the hunt for a Final 4 spo, scrapeing past De La Salle University, 81-73, Wednesday in the UAAP Season 78 Men’s Basketball Tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.

NU went on a 6-0 spurt to close out the game after Thomas Torres hit a triple with 44.4 seconds left to pull the Green Archers within 75-73.

Center Alfred Aroga started the deciding run, driving the lane off an inbound pass to put NU up 77-73 with 40.3 seconds left.

NU head coach Eric Altamirano knows too well it would be “another miracle” for them to enter the Final 4 but it was a feat the team did in Season 77 and something the Bulldogs plan on repeating.

“We mentioned this on our team meetings ‘we’ve been here before and there’s no reason for it not to happen again,'” Altamirano said.

The Bulldogs persevered to a 5-7 record while the Green Archers bid goodbye to the .500 mark as they fell to 5-6.

Down 53-49 at the start of the fourth, the Bulldogs leaned on surprising closer JJ Alejandro as the swingman scored 17 of his game-high 25 points in the final period.

NU went on a 14-3 scoring tear early in the fourth as Alejandro nailed back-to-back threes to put the Bulldogs up, 65-58, with 5:52 remaining.

Altamirano said the Bulldogs’ main issue is the lack of firepower, but that could be solved with the like Alejandro heating up for them.

“With J, every time he plays well it’s a lot easier,” Altamirano said.

Gelo Alolino had a near double-double for the Bulldogs with seven points and and nine assists while Aroga posted seven points and 11 rebounds.

Jeron Teng led the Green Archers with 25 points, rookie Andrei Caracut added 18 while big man Jason Perkins put up a 10-point, 15-rebound double-double.