Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
National University’s final four bid took another hit.
Despite all the pre-season talk, the Bulldogs are struggling to get solid momentum in the Final Four race of the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament and on Saturday, they slipped again.
University of the East, a humble 2-6 team, stunned NU, 90-77, in a match the Bulldogs badly needed to win in order to tie Far Eastern University and University of the Philippines, two teams that have shared ownership of the fourth seed.
And for J-Jay Alejandro, the show the Bulldogs displayed was everything short of a fight.
“No one fought in this game,” said Alejandro in Filipino at Smart Araneta Coliseum as the sixth-seeded Bulldogs fell to 3-5.
Alejandro played much of the fourth quarter to lead NU’s core but the Red Warriors owned the final period outscoring the Bulldogs 28-18 in the final 10 minutes.
UE also bludgeoned NU, 18-9, in the closing minutes of the game with Mark Olayon giving the Red Warriors a 14-point lead, 88-74, with 47 seconds left.
“I have no idea, all I thought of in the end was try to cut the lead and try to win,” said Alejandro who finished with 16 points and 10 assists. “We fell short.”
“We couldn’t follow the game plan and some of us were out of focus, the starters were out of focus.”