MANILA — Rookie forward Manuel Luis Pablo came of age just when De La Salle University needed him most, powering the Green Archers to a hard-fought 72-69 victory over the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Pablo delivered a career-best 16 points, showing composure and versatility on both ends of the floor as the Archers ended the first round with a 4-3 slate, good for third place. The former NCAA Juniors MVP found strong support from Michael Phillips, Jacob Cortez, and Elaijah Gollena, who chipped in 12 points each.
Down the stretch, La Salle displayed poise under pressure. Earl Abadam tied the game at 69-all with a jumper and a triple before Vhoris Marasigan’s putback gave the Archers a 71-69 edge. After UP missed its chance to reclaim the lead, Phillips split his free throws to widen the gap to three. The Archers then tightened their defense to thwart the Fighting Maroons’ final three-point attempt.
For UP, Bacolodnon Harold Alarcon led the charge with 13 points, while Ilonggo Gerry Abadiano, Francis Nnoruka, and Terrence Fortea each scored 12. The loss dropped the Fighting Maroons to a 4-3 record, creating a midseason logjam in the standings.
In the curtain-raiser, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws (2-5) unleashed a balanced offensive display to dismantle the winless University of the East Red Warriors (0-7), 95-76. Jorick Bautista topscored with 22 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting clip, while Janrey Pasaol flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Despite another strong showing from Precious Momowei, who tallied 23 points and 11 boards, UE ended the first round without a victory./PN
