MANILA, Philippines — The UP Fighting Maroons staved off a persistent NU Bulldogs side to win 80-70 in the 84th UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday.
The Maroons survived a turnover-prone outing thanks to a quick 11-0 burst to begin the fourth quarter and notch their second win against a loss.
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After only leading by a bucket heading into the final frame, 55-53, Ricci Rivero fueled the scoring burst to create some space against the Bulldogs, 66-53.
While NU fought back and got within single digits, 63-71, CJ Cansino converted on a clutch triple to push the advantage back above 10 points.
The lead proved insurmountable for the Bulldogs, who fell to 1-2 as the clock ticked against their favor.
Rivero top-scored for the Maroons with 19 points. He also had three rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. He was +24 on efficiency.
Tamayo, meanwhile, scored 13 points and nabbed eight rebounds, while Joel Cagulangan chipped in nine markers.
Michael Malonzo paced NU with 11 points.
The Scores:
UP 80 -- Rivero 19, Tamayo 13, Cagulangan 9, Fortea 8, Cansino 8, Spencer 6, Lucero 5, Diouf 4, Alarcon 4, Catapusan 2, Abadiano 2, Ramos 0, Lina 0.
NU 70 -- Malonzo 11, Torres 10, Clemente 9, Mahinay 9, Felicilda 8, Ildefonso 7, Enriquez 4, Galinato 4, Tibayan 4, Joson 2, Manansala 2, Figueroa 0, Minerva 0, Yu 0.
Quarters: 20-25, 42-39, 55-53, 80-70.