UP holds off NU for share of 4th spot

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

University of the Philippines managed to hold off National University late, 89-88, in the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tournament Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Fighting Maroons followed up their 67-61 win over De La Salle and improved to a 3-3 card to tie the Green Archers in fourth place.

With the loss, the Bulldogs dropped to 1-5 and shared the eighth seed with University of the East.

UP’s win, however, came after a ton of drama and a big margin of the lead getting erased in the final minute.

The Fighting Maroons held a sizeable 89-83 lead with 58.1 seconds left but brothers Dave and Shaun Ildefonso scored five unanswered points to cut the lead to just one, 89-88, with 15 seconds left.

Javi Gomez de Liaño had a chance to ice the game from the stripe but he blew his chances that allowed the Bulldogs to race down the floor.

Fortunately for the Fighting Maroons, John Gallego didn’t make an early enough play as the time expired on the Bulldogs.

“Well the positive way of saying it is we won by learning and I’d rather have that than learning and losing,” said UP head coach Bo Perasol. “If I have to review the game, I’ll be happy with 50 percent of it.”

De Liaño’s missed free throws weren’t an isolated case as UP went 11-of-30 from the line and four of those misses happened with just 20 seconds left in the game, chances that could’ve made the game easier for the Fighting Maroons.

Bright Akhuetie put up 21 points and 20 rebounds, while going 7-of-10 from the line, for UP while Juan Gomez de Liaño ended up with 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists but he went just 1-of-6 from the stripe.

Javi, the older of the de Liaño brothers, had 19 points and eight boards while also making just one free throw out of four attempts.

Dave Ildefonso led the Bulldogs with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists.