Lefties make things right as Bulldogs clinch Final Four berth
National University coach Jeff Napa didn’t think it was right that his Bulldogs escaped with a victory over a hard-fighting foe.
His two left-handed gunners might beg to differ.
Tebol Garcia and Reinhard Jumamoy powered a decisive fourth-quarter surge as NU pulled away from stubborn University of the East, 91-74, to clinch a UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball Final Four berth on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Bulldogs struggled to shake off the Red Warriors for much of the game before Garcia and Jumamoy took charge of a telling 16-0 run that turned a precarious 73-70 lead into a commanding 89-70 advantage with 1:51 remaining.
The left-handed duo combined for 15 points during that stretch, with Jumamoy burying three triples to finally put away a UE squad that refused to fold despite having little left to play for.
But Napa was hardly impressed.
“First of all, congratulations to UE. We didn’t deserve this win because we played terribly in the first three quarters. Hats off to UE. We really didn’t deserve this victory,” Napa said.
“We can’t afford to play this way at this crucial stage, with the elimination round winding down and the Final Four approaching.”
Despite steering NU to its ninth win in 11 games and a second straight semifinal appearance, Napa warned that the Bulldogs would need more than a strong finishing kick to survive the playoffs.
“If you ask me, I’m not happy because I know what we’re getting into as we approach the end of the eliminations and the playoffs,” he said.
“Of course, a win is a win, but maybe this is also a wake-up call for us. If we want to go far and prove something, we have to show our opponents the respect they deserve.”
The victory extended NU’s winning streak to three games and sent the Bulldogs into the Final Four alongside University of the Philippines.
For NU, the return to the semifinals also presents a chance to make up for last season’s disappointment, when the Bulldogs squandered a twice-to-beat advantage and bowed to fourth-seeded eventual champion De La Salle University.
Garcia led NU with 20 points on an efficient 9-of-10 shooting clip, adding seven assists and posting a game-high plus—27 rating in 31 minutes.
Jumamoy finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, saving his biggest shots for the stretch that finally broke UE’s resistance.
PJ Palacielo contributed a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, along with three assists and three steals, while Malian big man Mo Diassana added nine points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Rookie Chad Cartel chipped in eight points and two steals.
The Bulldogs will try to build momentum heading into the semifinals when they face FEU on Nov. 22 at Smart Araneta Coliseum before closing their elimination-round campaign against UP on Nov. 28.
UE, meanwhile, dropped to 1-12 and will seek to end its campaign on a winning note against Ateneo on Nov. 25 at Mall of Asia Arena.
Toper Lagat paced the Red Warriors with 21 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal.
