The Tamaraws ripped the Falcons, 66-56, while the Warriors rapped the Bulldogs, 68-50, to keep their one-two placing in the team standings entering the final stretch of the double-round-robin eliminations.
The Tams stayed well entrenched atop the heap with a 10-1 win-loss card while the Warriors firmed up their hold of second place at 10-3. One more win by each team will mean outright playoff for a twice-to-beat incentive in the semis.
UE takes a crack at that guaranteed playoff berth against University of the Philippines next weekend.
Marcy Arellano led the UE attack with 16 points, including 13 in the second half that helped fuel the Warriors’ breakaway from a tight game early on.
The Warriors ran into an efficient defense by the Bulldogs in the first half, committing 21 errors, but still managed to post a 30-22 lead at the turn.
With some scolding from coach Dindo Pumaren during the break, the Warriors got their act together at the resumption of play and went on to win convincingly.
"We played bad with 21 turnovers in the first half. I challenged the boys during the break and I’m glad they responded positively," said Pumaren.
Edwin Asoro, the league leader in the statistical race, fired 14 points but didn’t get the needed support from his teammates as NU remained winless in 11 outings.
Meanwhile, La Salle appealed to the league board the technical committee’s decision reversing the outcome of its game against UE Thursday.
"I don’t think it’s really valid," said La Salle coach Franz Pumaren referring to the decision of the technical committee upholding an appeal by UE.
"The board is open-minded, I think they will review the case," Pumaren added.