NU kicks off NBTC title defense with 90-point rout

MANILA, Philippines—Nazareth School of National University opened its title defense with a dominating 135-45 win over Isabela Colleges-Cauayan, in the 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC League National Finals Tuesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Bullpups were merciless from start to finish with guards Terrence Fortea and Steve Nash Enriquez leading the way.

Fortea had 19 points while Enriquez scored 17 on 7-of-10 shooting for NU, which only needed the first quarter to put the game beyond doubt as it raced to a 37-4 lead.

“Before the game, we actually talked about how to be consistent with what we’re doing. We had a great campaign in the UAAP and we picked up where we left off,” said NU coach Goldwin Monteverde in Filipino.

NU, which swept Ateneo in the UAAP juniors finals last month, made it a 50-point game after a fastbreak layup by Reyland Torres before the end of the first half.

The Bullpups extended their lead to as high as 93 points in the fourth period.