UAAP Basketball

HIGHLIGHTS: UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball games – November 23

Martin Mendoza

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HIGHLIGHTS: UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball games – November 23
UP, NU, and Ateneo aim to boost their twice-to-beat Final Four bonus bids, while La Salle, Adamson, FEU, and UE all hope to keep their playoff hopes alive
Jerom Lastimosa erupts for 23 as Adamson ends FEU’s 8-year Final Four streak

The Adamson Soaring Falcons kept their UAAP Season 85 Final Four hopes alive with a 75-70 win over FEU, at the same time ending the Tamaraws’ league-best streak of eight straight playoff appearances dating back to 2012.

Jerom Lastimosa, still recovering from a dislocated right foot, erupted for a game-high 23 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three with zero turnovers in 16 minutes off the bench as Adamson tied La Salle at fourth place with a 6-6 record. FEU skidded down to a 4-9 slate, tied with UE.

Read the full story here.

Ateneo clinches Final Four berth in overtime thriller at expense of UE playoff hopes

The Ateneo Blue Eagles clinched the third Final Four spot in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament after a thrilling 69-66 overtime escape of the UE Red Warriors, who have now been eliminated with a 4-9 record.

Dave Ildefonso powered the win to rise to a 9-3 record with a huge 12-point, 14-rebound double-double, while Kai Ballungay led the team in scoring with 14 points on a perfect 5-of-5 clip with 7 boards.

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Streaking La Salle earns 3rd straight victory, snaps NU’s 4-game win run

The La Salle Green Archers continued their late-season push for a Final Four spot with a huge 63-58 win over the playoff-bound NU Bulldogs to even out with a 6-6 record off their third straight victory.

Penny Estacio led the third-quarter rally with all of his 13 points coming in that frame alone on 5-of-7 shooting to help kick down the Bulldogs to a 9-4 slate.

Read the full story here.

UP bounces back, nears twice-to-beat bonus with UST rout

The UP Fighting Maroons bounced back from their stunning loss to La Salle with a 78-60 blowout of the also-ran UST Growling Tigers to clinch at least a playoff for a Final Four berth.

Star forward Carl Tamayo led the second-half pullaway with 19 points and 9 rebounds as UP rose to an 11-2 record, while UST dropped to a 1-11 slate.

Read the full story here.

Preview

With just three playing dates left in the second round, the race to the Final Four of the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament gets even tighter on Wednesday, November 23, with another jam-packed quadruple-header at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

UP (10-2) vs UST (1-10)

At 11 am, the league-leading UP Fighting Maroons shoot for a bounce-back win as they take on the cellar-dwelling UST Growling Tigers, who are already out of playoff contention.

UP, which became the first team to secure a spot in the Final Four, saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end last Sunday, November 20, after absorbing a shock loss to the La Salle Green Archers. 

Look for the Fighting Maroons to vent their ire and dominate the Growling Tigers, who have now lost 10 straight games, as they try to inch closer to clinching a twice-to-beat Final Four bonus.  

La Salle (5-6) vs NU (9-3)

In the second game at 1 pm, the La Salle Green Archers look to further boost their Final Four hopes as they go up against the second-seeded NU Bulldogs.

Despite playing without MVP candidate Schonny Winston for the fourth straight outing due to his calf injury, La Salle pulled off an 82-80 upset of UP to stay well in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Expect the Green Archers, who have now won two consecutive nail-biting wins, to ride on their hot momentum in this surefire down-to-the-wire matchup against the Bulldogs, who are looking to improve their chances of securing a twice-to-beat Final Four edge.

Ateneo (8-3) vs UE (4-8)

At 4:30 pm, the Ateneo Blue Eagles aim to formally clinch a Final Four berth as they face off with the UE Red Warriors. 

Ateneo is coming off a huge 19-point comeback win against the FEU Tamaraws, thanks to the sensational performance of reigning UAAP MVP Ange Kouame, who had 20 points and 14 rebounds in the hard-earned victory.

Count on Kouame and the rest of the Blue Eagles to sustain their fiery form and flex their dominance against the struggling Red Warriors, who are hoping to keep their playoff bid alive in Season 85. 

Adamson (5-6) vs FEU (4-8)

Finally, the Adamson Soaring Falcons and the FEU Tamaraws both hope to increase their Final Four chances as they collide in the 6:30 pm nightcap. 

Adamson is fresh from an important 74-64 triumph over UE, highlighted by the surprise return of its star point guard Jerom Lastimosa, who initially said he would miss the rest of the elimination round due to a foot injury.

On the other side, FEU, which is currently tied with UE at 4-8, is virtually in a must-win situation from this point on after absorbing a disappointing loss to Ateneo for its third straight defeat last Sunday. – Rappler.com 

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