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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Collegiate devider Archers, Bulldogs dispute last Finals berth in rubber match

Archers, Bulldogs dispute last Finals berth in rubber match

Published Dec 5, 2025 11:51 am

At A Glance

  • Expect nothing but a grind-out affair when De La Salle and National University dispute the last UAAP Finals berth in the Season 88 men's basketball tournament on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Mike Phillips and the La Salle Green Archers go for a kill against the Jake Figueroa-led NU Bulldogs. (UAAP Media)
Mike Phillips and the La Salle Green Archers go for a kill against the Jake Figueroa-led NU Bulldogs. (UAAP Media)
Expect nothing but a grind-out affair when De La Salle and National University dispute the last UAAP Finals berth in the Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Finally cracking the Bulldogs code with an 87-77 win last Wednesday to force a do-or-die Game 2 in their semis duel, the Green Archers aim to close it out and arrange a championship showdown versus the UP Fighting Maroons who had beaten the UST Growling Tigers in their own match.
But it is easier said than done in their 3:30 p.m. clash with NU, which topped the eliminations, surely eager to atone its mistakes in the opener.
La Salle head coach Topex Robinson was well aware of an impending counter from the Sampaloc-based squad.
“The game on Saturday will be harder, this team will not roll down and we just have to make sure that we'll always be humbled by this experience, knowing that we still made a ton of mistakes in the things that we shouldn't have done,” said Robinson.
“So we just wanna learn and those moments of learning that we got here, we're gonna make sure that will bring it come Saturday's game,” he added.
Though the Taft-based crew kept itself afloat throughout the majority of the match, it turned the ball over for 17 times, compared to NU’s 15.
But good thing, Jacob Cortez took the spotlight alongside returnee Kean Baclaan who also delivered decent numbers in almost 20 minutes of play. The two shifty guards paved the way for La Salle with a big boost coming off the bench.
Besides Cortez, skipper Mike Phillips, Vhoris Marasigan, and JC Macalalag, second-stringers EJ Gollena, Luis Pablo, and Mason Amos gave ample offensive support for the Archers, helping neutralize the scoring threats of Jake Figueroa and Omar John for NU.
Figueroa and John were the only double-digit scorers for the Sampaloc cagers with 20 and 12 points, respectively. The two stars need better contributions from Steve Nash Enriquez, Jolo Manansala, Reinhard Jumamoy, Mark Parks, Gelo Santiago, and PJ Palacielo, to list a few, if they want a shot at the title.
“May challenge lang na kailangang tapusin, so positive pa naman, kasi may pa kami sa Sabado, we try to correct our mistakes,” said NU head coach Jeff Napa. “We have to control our emotions better… kailangan naming intindihin kung paano iha-handle ‘yong gantong situation and challenge."
Meanwhile, Kent Pastrana and the unblemished UST Golden Tigresses and the Karl Pingol-led NU Lady Bulldogs kick off their title rematch at 11:30 a.m.

Related Tags

NU Bulldogs La Salle Green Archers UAAP Season 88
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