By Ricky Manliguis
SAN JUAN-- National
University bucked a slow start to beat the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, 78-71, at
the start of second round festivities of the UAAP Season LXXIX juniors
basketball tournament at the FilOil-Flying V Centre Jan.14.
With leading
scorers John Lloyd Clemente and Rhayyan Amsali plagued with foul trouble all
game, the troika of Karl Peñano, Muhammad Sarip, and Paul Manalang joined
forces in a 23-9 third-quarter assault to turn a 33-38 deficit to a 56-47
cushion en route to its seventh win in eight matches.
Drawing
another brilliant performance from its bench, Peñano led the charge for the
defending champions with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, Manalang had 16 with
six rebounds, while Sarip issued a near-double double of 10 and nine boards.
Clemente and
Amsali came away with seven and six markers, respectively.
NU’s
second-stringers produced 56 bench points, double the production of the Eaglets
(28).
Team
consultant Jeff Napa was ejected midway in the third period for excessive
complaining which sparked the uprising.
Ateneo had
its three-game win run snapped to fall to an even 4-4 mark for fourth place. SJ
Belangel paced the team with 14 points, while Shaun Dave Ildefonso was the
other twin-digit scorer with 10.
The scores:
NU 78 – Penano 19, Manalang 16, Sarip 10, Amsali 7, Clemente 6, Coyoca 5, Tolentino 5, Malonzo 4, Callejo 2, Fortea 2, Dela Cruz 2, Atienza 0.
Ateneo 71 –
Belangel 14, Ildefonso 10, Salazar 8, Angeles 8, Manuel 8, Sotto 8, Berjay 6,
Credo 6, Escalona 3, Laud 0.
