Jeff Napa delivered clutch baskets although it was the team's tough defense in crucial stretches of the game that spelled victory for the Bulldogs, who ended a two-game losing spell and improved their win-loss record to 3-3.
"Coach Manny Dandan told us before the game to forget our loss to La Salle last Thursday and play our usual game which we did for this win," said NU team skipper Chicko Manabat.
Ateneo continued to dish out big games as it smothered University of the Philippines, 63-50, in the other game to join defending champion La Salle and host Far Eastern U at the helm.
But the Blue Eagles had to overcome a sputtering start and come up with a tough defensive game in the second half to complete their domination of the Maroons for their fourth straight victory after dropping their opening day game to the Archers.
The Maroons slid to 1-4.
After displaying signs of inconsistency in their losses to La Salle and Far Eastern, NU came out focused on the game this time and showed nerves of steel at endgame with Napa unleashing the crucial blows on UST.
While it was Napa who did most of the damage in offense after scoring eight of his 21 points in the final quarter, it was Manabat who typified NU’s superb defense with two important steals that helped his team climb back from an eight-point deficit.
But more than Bulldogs' combined efforts, it was really the Tigers’ own booboos that got them in trouble as it committed three turnovers that led to a field goal by Manabat and two unchallenged lay-ups by Napa, sealing their fourth loss in five games.
The Bulldogs triumphed despite the absence of Archen Cayabyab, who served his one-game suspension incurred for elbowing La Salle’s rookie Mark Cardona in their sorry 87-88 loss last Thursday.
At first, the Bulldogs terribly missed the services of Cayabyab, whose 30-point effort against La Salle went to waste after his flagrant foul, but as the game entered crunchtime, NU picked up their game, outplaying Santo Tomas on both ends of the court.
The Tigers were held to just a free throw in the last five minutes, thanks mainly to the Bulldogs’ pesky full-court press and a solid interior defense anchored on the bulky Ariel de Castro and Gilbert Neo.