NU stuns La Salle to end campaign on high note

National University, who has been eliminated from Final Four contention, pulled off another upset, this time against defending champion De La Salle University, 63-54, in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. 

The Bulldogs ended their campaign this season with a 5-9 card, while also snapping the Final Four-bound Green Archers’ nine game winning streak. 

The Jeff Napa-coached NU was the only squad to have beaten both La Salle and UP this season. 

PJ Palacielo carried out a team-high 16 points that went with eight rebounds, while Jake Figueroa poured eight of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help the cause. 

NU won three of its last four games  starting with a 67-47 drubbing of UP before following it up with a 67-62 escape against UST. 

“So happy for the players talaga. Binigay nila ‘yung best nila up to the last game," said Napa. "See you next year. Ganu’n kasimple. Hopefully, [it’s gonna be better] next year." 

La Salle, meanwhile, dropped to 12-2 as the number one seed. 

Mike Phillips continued to pump out a double-double performance with 18 points and 10 rebounds, which went nowhere, as the rest of the Green Archers lacked familiar help in the endgame. 

Reigning UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao fired blanks and finished with only six points on 3-of-17 shooting.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News