HIGHLIGHTS: UP vs La Salle, UAAP Season 86 finals Game 2

MANILA, Philippines – La Salle rediscovered its shooting touch and dragged UP to a do-or-die clash in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball finals with a rousing 82-60 win at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, December 3.

Francis Escandor fired 14 points and Joshua David finished with 12 points as they combined for a sizzling 8-of-11 clip from deep to help the Green Archers redeem themselves after a back-breaking 97-67 blowout in Game 1.

Newly crowned MVP Kevin Quiambao supplied 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks for La Salle, which also got timely contributions from CJ Austria (11 points) and Michael Phillips (9 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks).

Malick Diouf put up 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks for the Fighting Maroons, who absorbed their most lopsided loss of the season.

The winner-take-all Game 3 is on Wednesday, December 6, at the same venue.

Fourth quarter

FINAL: La Salle drags UP to a winner-take-all clash with a resounding 82-60 win
LA SALLE 82-60: Francis Escandor sinks his fourth triple
LA SALLE 79-60: CJ Austria with another trey
LA SALLE 76-60: Francis Lopez goest coast to coast
LA SALLE 76-58: CJ Austria knocks down the trey
LA SALLE 73-58: CJ Cansino buries his freebies
LA SALLE 73-56: Evan Nelle with the cool jumper
LA SALLE 71-56: JD Cagulangan sinks the technical free throw
LA SALLE 71-55: Harold Alarcon with back-to-back hits
LA SALLE 71-53: Harold Alarcon scores
LA SALLE 71-51: JC Macalalag makes it a 20-point lead for the Archers
LA SALLE 69-51: Evan Nelle with his first field goal of the game
LA SALLE 67-51: JC Macalalag free throws
LA SALLE 65-51: JD Cagulangan 2/2 at the stripe

Third quarter

END OF 3Q: La Salle a quarter away from equalizing the finals as it leads 65-49
LA SALLE 65-49: Joshua David sinks the trey from the same spot
LA SALLE 62-49: CJ Cansino makes the first but makes the second free throw
LA SALLE 62-48: Joshua David from the corner for three
LA SALLE 59-48: Raven Cortez scores
LA SALLE 57-48: Malick Diouf splits his free throws
LA SALLE 57-47: Mark Nonoy for three
LA SALLE 54-47: Harold Alarcon answers
LA SALLE 54-45: Ben Phillips
LA SALLE 52-45: Francis Lopez three-point play
LA SALLE 52-42: Kevin Quiambao 2/2 at the stripe
LA SALLE 50-42: Michael Phillips and-one
LA SALLE 47-42: Gerry Abadiano banks in the jumper
LA SALLE 47-40: Pump fake turns into an Aldous Torculas short stab
LA SALLE 47-38: JC Macalalag corner trey

First half performers

Francis Escandor (La Salle) – 12 points, 4-of-5 3pt
Kevin Quiambao (La Salle) – 7 points, 5 rebounds
Michael Phillips (La Salle) – 6 points, 7 rebounds
Malick Diouf (UP) – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks
CJ Cansino (UP) – 8 points, 2 rebounds
Francis Lopez (UP) – 4 points, 7 rebounds

Second quarter

END OF 2Q: La Salle leans on CJ Austria and Francis Escandor to seize a 44-38 lead
LA SALLE 44-38: Harold Alarcon beats the halftime buzzer with a looper
LA SALLE 44-36: CJ Cansino buries the Maroons’ first field of the second quarter off a jumper
LA SALLE 44-34: Francis Escandor dials up from deep to give the Archers a double-digit lead
LA SALLE 41-34: CJ Cansino 2/2 again at the line
LA SALE 41-32: CJ Austria with another and-one opportunity, sinks the bonus this time
LA SALLE 38-32: CJ Cansino ices his free throws
LA SALLE 38-30: CJ Austria short stab
LA SALLE 36-30: Janjan Felicilda splits his foul shots
LA SALLE 36-29: Kevin Quiambao layup
LA SALLE 34-29: Francis Lopez 1/2 with his freebies
LA SALLE 34-28: Francis Escandor back-to-back triples
LA SALLE 31-28: Francis Escandor regains the lead for the Archers with a trey
28-28: Perfect trip for Michael Phillips at the stripe
UP 28-26: Gerry Abadiano misses the first free throw but makes the second
UP 27-26: Michael Phillips finds an opening for the two-handed jam

First quarter

END OF 1Q: UP grabs a 27-24 lead over La Salle as Malick Diouf scores 10 points
UP 27-24: Joshua David sinks his second trey
UP 27-21: Malick Diouf is unstoppable
UP 25-21: Joshua David from deep
UP 25-18: Janjan Felicilda 2/2 at the stripe
UP 23-18: CJ Cansino layup is good
UP 21-18: Kevin Quiambao banks it in plus the foul and makes the bonus
UP 21-15: Janjan Felicilda for three
UP 18-15: CJ Austria finds Raven Cortez inside
UP 18-13: Kevin Quiambao with the putback slam
UP 18-11: Aldous Torculas skies for the layup
UP 16-11: Raven Cortez puts it back
UP 16-9: Malick Diouf continues his scoring tear
UP 14-9: Mark Nonoy hits his free throws
UP 14-7: Malick Diouf again
UP 12-7: Francis Escandor long two
UP 12-5: Mark Nonoy and-one
UP 12-2: Malick Diouf with the easy deuce
UP 10-2: Malick Diouf offensive rebound and putback
UP 8-2: Francis Lopez splits his freebies
UP 7-2: Francis Lopez with the strong attack
UP 5-2: JD Cagulangan from deep
2-2: Harold Alarcon ties it up
LA SALLE 2-0: Michael Phillips with the first bucket of the game

Starters

LA SALLE: Evan Nelle, Mark Nonoy, Michael Phillips, Jonnel Policarpio, Francis Escandor
UP: JD Cagulangan, Harold Alarcon, Malick Diouf, Reyland Torres, Francis Lopez

UAAP individual awards

Most Valuable Player: Kevin Quiambao (La Salle)
Mythical Five: Kevin Quiambao (La Salle), Rey Remogat (UE), Evan Nelle (La Salle), Malick Diouf (UP), L-Jay Gonzales (FEU)
Rookie of the Year: Francis Lopez (UP)

Special awards

Acer of the Season: Kevin Quiambao (La Salle)
PS Bankabale Player of the Season: Kevin Quiambao (La Salle)
Hyundai Stargazer X Exceptional Player of the Season: Kevin Quiambao (La Salle)

Preview

End or extend?

The UP Fighting Maroons look to close it out, while the the La Salle Green Archers aim to fight another day as they lock horns in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball finals at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, December 3.

Another win will propel UP to its second championship in three seasons, with the stacked Maroons building a dynasty.

With the way UP clobbered La Salle in its dominant Game 1 win, a sweep of the best-of-three affair is not improbable.

Harold Alarcon showed the way in the 97-67 rout with 21 points, while soon-to-be Rookie of the Year winner Francis Lopez churned out a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.

There were other heroes, with JD Cagulangan and Gerry Abadiano adding 11 and 10 points, respectively, and five more scoring at least 5 points for the Maroons.

“Our mission is to get two wins. Now, we got the first win and we got one more win we need,” said Lopez.

But the Archers have proven they are capable of bouncing back.

After losing to UP in the first round, La Salle went on to win its next nine games, sweeping the second round and crushing NU in the Final Four to reach the championship round for the first time since 2017.

The Archers, though, need their stars to redeem themselves.

Runaway MVP winner Kevin Quiambao got limited to a season-low-tying 11 points in Game 1, while Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy were contained to 8 and 5 points, respectively.

“We know what championship basketball is all about. We know what it takes. We just have to really be prepared,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.

Game time is 4 pm. – Rappler.com