Salem regains shooting touch in NU win over UP

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

It took almost a month for Matt Salem to get his scoring groove back, and oh did he recover just when it mattered the most.

National University was in a three-game skid in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament and slipped to a dangerous 2-4 record near the end of the first round. 

The Bulldogs were in dire need of a win to finish the first half of the season on a positive note when Salem finally hit his stride.

NU’s captain fired 21 points in the Bulldogs’ 77-70 win over University of the Philippines, and Salem couldn’t help but breathe a huge sigh of relief.

“It’s a learning experience for me and I’ll take these struggles I had in the first round and put it to good use,” said Salem Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena. “Those things are something you come to.”

“I might have been putting too much pressure on myself and it was affecting my game.”

Salem last broke the 10-point barrier back in Sept. 16 against La Salle when he had 12 points and the following four games saw Bulldog wingman average just 4.5 points a game.

And Salem put up just 3.8 points a game during the Bulldogs’ three-match skid.

“Coach (Jamike Jarin) texted me and told me to just relax, play my game, and ‘we’re here for you,’” said Salem. “It’s just within me and that I just had to relax.”