NU and UP may be out in front, but the fight in the middle of the close remains fierce with La Salle, Ateneo, UST, Adamson, and FEU all within two games of each other in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
One down, three more to go. No. 1 NU has officially punched its ticket to the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball Final Four, becoming the first team to do so.
In a thrilling 66–65 escape over Adamson, the league-leading Bulldogs leaned on Mark Parks’ late-game heroics — a clutch go-ahead and-one layup in the final seconds — to extend their winning streak to four and secure their postseason spot.
[ALSO READ: Mark Parks out to build his own legacy after clutch showing in NU’s Final Four-clinching win]
Beyond marking their third Final Four appearance in four seasons, the victory cemented NU’s hold on solo first place with a 9–2 record.
[ALSO READ: Napa bittersweet as NU escapes Adamson to secure Final Four berth — ‘Pakiramdam mo natalo ka’]
Meanwhile, defending champion and second-running UP is steadily closing in on its own playoff berth.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: UP seeks better finish after faltering late in crucial win over UE]
The Fighting Maroons completed an 80–71 disposal of the also-ran UE Red Warriors as big men Sean Alter and Francis Nnoruka led the way.
Nnoruka finished with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Alter contributed 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting night, helping UP notch its fourth consecutive win.
[ALSO READ: UP’s Sean Alter upbeat on UAAP performance after breakthrough: ‘I only see myself going up’]
Behind the frontrunners, the rest of the league remains in a tight scramble.
La Salle holds solo third at 6–4, while Ateneo and UST are locked in a tie for fourth at 5–5, each fighting tooth and nail in a tight Final Four race.
The Blue Eagles snapped a five-game losing skid with a 78–74 triumph over the Red Warriors, while the Growling Tigers suffered a heartbreaking 89–88 loss to UP to send them reeling to a fourth-straight defeat.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: Tab Baldwin lauds fourth-quarter effort from Ateneo in breakthrough win vs UE]
Adamson’s narrow loss to NU dropped them to 5–6, dashing its playoff chances while FEU sits seventh at 4–6.
UE remains winless at 0–11, still searching for its first taste of victory.
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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.