Fueled by back-to-back statement victories, the NU Bulldogs take over solo first in the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball standings.
In case you missed it, NU is barking the loudest in UAAP Season 88.
The Bulldogs have climbed to the top of the men’s basketball standings, claiming solo leadership with a 5-1 record behind back-to-back victories against Adamson and La Salle.
NU first had to claw its way out of trouble against Adamson, rallying from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to escape with a gritty 56-54 win.
Jake Figueroa was once again the steady hand in crunch time, finishing with 17 points — including the go-ahead basket inside the final minute that sealed the Bulldogs’ thrilling comeback.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: Lessons learned as NU shows up in clutch vs Adamson for strong bounce back]
From there, the Bulldogs only got stronger.
Head coach Jeff Napa’s squad followed up with a statement 82-78 victory over the DLSU Green Archers for their league-leading fifth win.
Trailing NU are the surging UST Growling Tigers at 4-1 and fresh off a thrilling 98-89 triple-overtime marathon against Ateneo in Katipunan — arguably one of the greatest UAAP games in recent memory.
The Growling Tigers showed nerves of steel through 55 minutes of basketball, escaping the Blue Eagles’ den to occupy solo second while sending Ateneo down to joint third at 4-2.
A tale of two teams
Meanwhile, last year’s finalists — defending champion UP and DLSU — are in contrasting stretches midway through the opening round.
The Fighting Maroons followed up their commanding 83-69 win over Ateneo with a 69-66 escape against the hard-charging FEU.
[ALSO READ: Streaking UP puts league on notice with statement win vs Ateneo in UAAP Season 88]
Now, UP is riding a four-game winning streak — the longest active run — for a 4-2 record.
[ALSO READ: ‘Silent operator’ Harold Alarcon leads by example for surging UP in UAAP Season 88]
On the other hand, the Green Archers (2-3) continued their up-and-down campaign after losing to NU in a game where big man Mason Amos suffered a knee injury, adding to the team’s early woes.
[ALSO READ: La Salle's Mason Amos leans on faith as road to recovery begins after MCL injury]
With a win over UE, Adamson improved to 2-4, followed by FEU at 1-4, while the Red Warriors remain winless at 0-5 to round out the men's standings.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: Nash Racela sees more things to work on after Adamson win vs UE]
—
Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.