UE upsets defending champs, hands La Salle’s first loss
University of the East pulled off a shocker when they defeated the defending champion, De La Salle Green Archers, 75-71, in the UAAP’s 87th Season at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Red Warriors also gave La Salle its first loss of the season in front of the 6,946 spectators inside the arena who also witnessed them shoot an astonishing 12-of-30 from downtown.
John Abate led the Recto side with a career game of 20 points while firing a perfect 3-of-3 from the arc, also grabbing four boards, and sinking two-pressure packed free throws with 3.4 seconds left to complete the upset.
Wello Lingolingo had 18 points built on six triples, Gjerard Wilson contributed 10 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists, and Precious Momowei produced only five markers but hauled 12 boards.
“This batch is capable of competing and beating the No. 1 team,” beamed coach Jack Santiago as the Red Warriors improved to 2-2.
“I will give credit to my boys 'cause during our practice, I saw the intensity already. I just told them we have a good start and keep the game close,” he added.
UE actually waxed hot from the very beginning and built an early 28-11 and hold on to it until the end even though the Green Archers rallied from a 71-59 deficit in the final three minutes of the game, and got close within two points, 73-71, after Kevin Quiambao made a bucket with 28.4 seconds remaining.
Quiambao, the defending Season and Finals MVP, had a chance to bring the game to overtime but he uncharacteristically missed two free throws with 15.8 remaining on the clock. The misses led to Abate putting the finishing touches by sinking the free throws of his own.
KQ still led La Salle with 17 points, nine rebounds, and five dimes but his 4-of-10 shooting from the line overshadowed his efforts.
Michael Phillips backed him up with 16 markers and nine boards, while Vhoris Marasigan nabbed 10 in the loss.
The Scores:
UE 75 – Abate 20, Lingolingo 18, Wilson 10, Galang 7, Maga 7, Momowei 5, J. Cruz-Dumont 5, Fikes 3, Jimenez 0, Mulingtapang 0, Malaga 0.
LA SALLE 71 – Quiambao 17, M. Phillips 16, Marasigan 10, Agunanne 8, Gollena 6, Macalalag 5, Gonzales 3, David 2, Abadam 2, Dungo 2, Ramiro 0.
Quarters: 28-11, 42-38, 56-50, 75-71.
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CJ Perez spearheaded the charge with a near-complete performance, tallying 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in almost 35 minutes of action. His energy sparked a game-changing 17-0 run in the fourth quarter that broke the game wide open for the Beermen.
Juami Tiongson added 14 points, while June Mar Fajardo turned in another monster game with 12 markers, a game-high 19 boards, three dimes, two deflections, and a rejection.
San Miguel’s well-balanced offense saw five players score in double figures, including Jericho Cruz and Rodney Brondial with 12 apiece, and Don Trollano who chipped in 11.
Game 5 is set for Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both powerhouse squads looking to seize control of the series and inch closer to a Finals berth.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel bounced back in style, securing a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals series with a 100-90 win over the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
RJ Abarrientos came up huge with a near triple-double performance—24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists—leading the Gin Kings back on top after dropping Game 2.
Jamie Malonzo added 20 points with four rebounds and two assists, while Japeth Aguilar chipped in 18 markers alongside seven boards, two dimes, three steals, and two blocks in a vintage two-way showing.
Ginebra also got key contributions from Scottie Thompson and Stephen Holt. Thompson tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block, while Holt recorded 10 points, seven boards, and a deflection.
For San Miguel, Don Trollano kept them in the fight with 22 points and three rebounds. JuneMar Fajardo posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, along with three dimes and a block.
CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz added 11 points apiece, while Juami Tiongson rounded out the Beermen’s double-digit scorers with 10.
Ginebra edged SMB 23-20 in the opening quarter, but the Beermen fought back strong in the second to take a 50-46 halftime lead. That momentum didn't last, as Ginebra responded with a commanding 25-14 third period to retake control at 71-64, then sealed the win with a 29-26 finish in the final frame.
“I’m just real proud of the guys for steadying themselves,” said head coach Tim Cone. “We figured a couple of things out. I felt we played with a really good tempo, and then RJ played tremendous down the stretch to keep them at bay.”
Game 4 is set for Wednesday, July 2, at 5:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters broke through in their best-of-seven semi-finals series in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, taking Game 3 in dominant fashion with a 107-86 win over TNT Tropang 5G on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Anton Asistio powered the Elasto Painters with a personal playoff-high 24 points off the bench. He also tallied six assists and a rebound in just under 29 minutes of action, going 7-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-of-3 from the four-point arc.
Caelan Tiongson added 16 markers, four rebounds, one assist, and a block, while Keith Datu delivered a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double performance to go with two assists and a rejection.
Leonard Santillan contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andrei Caracut chipped in 10 points, four assists, and four steals, helping Rain or Shine build early momentum and keep control through most of the game.
TNT, on the other hand, struggled without RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Rey Nambatac. Calvin Oftana led the Tropa with 16 points and eight rebounds but registered a -22 plus-minus while shooting just 1-of-6 from deep. Simon Enciso and Glenn Khobuntin added 12 points each.