NU blows by La Salle-Zobel, win away from UAAP juniors title

NU Bullpups vs La Salle-Zobel Junior Archers. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

National University overwhelmed De La Salle-Zobel, 78-58, and put itself closer to the UAAP Season 78 Juniors Basketball title Friday at San Juan Arena.

Bullpups center Justine Baltazar turned in his time card and put up 15 points, 27 rebounds, and four blocks to lead the 14-0 NU team that played its last game on Feb. 6.

De La Salle just couldn’t find any rhythm on both ends of the floor as NU raced to a 40-22 lead at the end of the first half.

National University then cranked up the intensity in the fourth with an 8-0 run to establish a 70-39 trench with Baltazar capping the fastbreak with a layup at the 8:13 mark of the fourth period.

Bullpups head coach Jeff Napa said they just went hard at the opening buzzer until the closing horn, but cleared that weren’t playing “bully ball.”

“We’re not actually playing bully ball, we’re just doing our job, ang mga bata naman kung ano game plan namin ginagawa nila,” Napa said whose team outrebounded La Salle, 57-34. “Pangit man pakinggan bully at di naman kami ganun, it’s just yung system na pinatutupad ay ginagawa ng mga bata kaya maganda resulta.”

“Go hard lang talaga.”

John Lloyd Clemente was the high-point man for NU as he finished with 16 points to go along eight rebounds while Karl Peñano added 12 points.

Juniors MVP Aljun Melecio led the Junior Archers with 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.