Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Fuming and up in arms, all La Salle coach Aldin Ayo needed to do was to take off his jacket and slam it to the floor to send a message to his team.
In response, La Salle woke up just in time to pull off a come-from-behind win, 79-76, and deal top seed Ateneo its first defeat in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Banking on Ben Mbala and Ricci Rivero in the fourth quarter, the Green Archers, who prevented the Blue Eagles from completing an elimination round sweep, closed the game on a 10-0 run in the final 2:24.
Rivero delivered the exclamation point when he rejected Anton Asistio’s potential game-tying trey as time ran out.
“Big win,” said DLSU head coach Aldin Ayo, who finally attended the post-game press conference after being a no-show during his team’s last eight wins.
“We got lucky in the end game, especially Isaac Go’s semi hook. It was uncontested and luckily, it did not go in. I have to commend the players for their effort, for sticking to the game plan especially during the end game.”
La Salle finished the eliminations on a seven-game winning streak.
Mbala scattered 28 points, 19 rebounds, six steals and six blocks while Rivero scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The two combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter, where the Archers battled back from 12 points down.
Kib Montalbo also shone for La Salle in the clutch after hitting the go-ahead basket, 77-76, with 40.3 seconds left.
Isaac Go blew a golden opportunity to push the Blue Eagles back up after flubbing a gimme in the last 10 seconds of the game.
The Final Four begins on Saturday with No. 2 La Salle taking on No. 3 Adamson. The other semifinals matchup is on Sunday with Ateneo facing No. 4 Far Eastern University.
The Eagles (13-1) and the Archers (12-2) own a twice-to-beat advantage after topping the elimination round.
Thirdy Ravena paced Ateneo with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block while Go added 13 points, six boards, and five assists.
The scores:
LA SALLE 79 – Mbala 28, R. Rivero 21, Tratter 8, Santillan 7, Melecio 6, Montalbo 6, Go 3, Caracut 0, P. Rivero 0, Baltazar 0, Paraiso 0.
ATENEO 76 – Ravena 15, Go 13, Ma. Nieto 12, Verano 9, Mendoza 7, Asistio 6, Tolentino 6, Ikeh 4, Porter 3, Mi. Nieto 1, Mamuyac 0, Black 0.
Quarters: 17-22, 37-35, 54-63, 79-76.