UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas and National University clinched the last two spots in the 86th UAAP 3×3 basketball tournament yesterday at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay Activity Center in Parañaque.
At the end of the preliminary phase, the Growling Tigers, the Bulldogs, and the Adamson Soaring Falcons were all knotted with identical 4-3 records but Adamson had the lowest points on average of 16.5 compared to University of Santo Tomas and National University, which had 18.5 and 18.0 respectively.
Putting a black eye on Adamson’s hopes was a 21-7 loss at the hands of defending champions De La Salle University Green Archers earlier in the day.
La Salle swept the phase 7-0 to earn the top seed.
The Green Archers will face NU in the KO semifinals at 3:40 p.m. while UE (5-2) takes on UST at 4:00 p.m.
“Para sa akin, gusto naming lahat, yung kaming lima, gusto namin makuha yung back-to-back championship and binibigay talaga namin yung best namin every game. Every game is an opportunity,” said Jonnel Policarpio about his team that earned the top seed with a 7-0 record.
In the other crucial men’s game, UST outlasted NU 18-16. With the game tied at 15-all, Angelo Crisostomo’s jump shot and Nic Cabañero’s two-pointer erected an 18-15 cushion for the Growling Tigers.
However, Jake Figueroa made things interesting with a basket of his own to bring the Bulldogs within just two points with 38 ticks on the clock left but misses from Jolo Manansala and Steve Nash Enriquez allowed the Growling Tigers to escape with the win.
In the women’s division, the Lady Bulldogs secured top seed after escaping the Growling Tigresses 18-16.
Though tied with 6-1 slates, NU gained pole position due to the win-over-the-other rule.
Boni Solis led the Lady Bulldogs with nine points and two rebounds.
She converted the winning deucet to lead NU to victory with the contest delicately poised at 16-all.
“Sinabi namin mula umpisa hanggang dulo na magiging composed lang kami. Kung ano yung ginawa namin sa ensayo, yun lang. Magtitiwala kami sa isa’t isa and alam namin na kaya namin hanggang dulo,” said NU’s Tin Cayabyab, who contributed six points and five rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs.
NU will take on fourth-seed DLSU in the semis at 3:00 p.m. while UST faces Adamson in the other bracket.
