UP Fighting Maroons’ Zavier Lucero. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–University of the Philippines kept within step of the lead, holding off La Salle via a 61-59 victory Thursday in the UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.
Zavier Lucero scored 11 points in the final 6:18, including a slam and a clutch triple to lead the Maroons with 21 points. His last two points in that bunch pegged the final count with 1:43 remaining as both schools waged an unsightly battle of attrition featuring missed shots and key errors.
La Salle’s springy big Mike Phillips missed a drive as time expired, allowing UP to preserve its fifth win in six games.
La Salle dropped to 4-2.
In a game of mini runs where the Archers seemed just good enough to stay a step ahead, the Maroons found enough juice from their own high-motor forward in Lucero, whose late offense finally sent La Salle to its second defeat in its last three outings.
Lucero added 14 rebounds for a double-double and was the only UP player in double figures.
Justine Baltazar led La Salle with 13 points and 10 boards.
Baltazar and La Salle’s guards kept their team afloat in the first half, with Evan Nelle nailing pullups from inside and beyond the arc to keep the Archers a step ahead. Nelle wound up with 13 points and three steals.
Mark Nonoy drilled a three-pointer two steps behind the line and then forced an offensive foul on Gerry Abadiano to set up a split by Mike Phillips that put La Salle ahead, 33-26, 2:41 remaining.
UP’s Carl Tamayo against La Salle defenders. UAAP PHOTO
But big man Carl Tamayo wove through the defense for an easy bucket then pulled off a steal and went coast to coast for a layup as UP trimmed the deficit to 35-32 at the break.
Baltazar, Nelle and Nonoy combined for 25 of La Salle’s total output in the first half, with Baltazar adding six rebounds as he and fellow Gilas Pilipinas standout Tamayo provided an interesting subplot matchup in the first two periods.
Tamayo had nine points and seven rebounds in the first two periods, but missed seven of 11 attempts from the field. He failed to score in the second half but finished with 11 boards.
The Archers held the Maroons to a single field goal in a stretch between the last two periods that lasted nearly six minutes, with UP surviving on CJ Cansino’s transition basket during that span.
But when Lucero scored at the 6:18 mark, UP managed to uncork the only run it needed to snatch the win.