NU Bulldogs vs DLSU Green Archers

The National University Bulldogs played with a lot of pride and put together one big run in the fourth period to bring De La Salle Green Archers with them in the doghouse, 56-40, in the UAAP Season 74 men’s basketball at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The Bulldogs collared the Archers, holding their Taft-based rivals without a field goal in the last seven minutes to run away with the come-from-behind win and officially boot them out of the Final Four for the first time since 2009.

After being limited to just nine and six points, respectively in the middle quarters, NU exploded in the payoff period, outscoring La Salle, 24-5, to turn the close game into a rout.

The Archers last made a field goal on Maui Villanueva’s drive in the 7:02 mark of the fourth period for a three-point cushion, 39-36.

Twenty seconds later, Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. pulled up for a three-pointer on top of the arc to ignite a 20-1 windup that doomed the Archers’ season and paved the way for UST to barge in the Final Four, joining Ateneo, Adamson and FEU.

Parks played exceptional on both ends of the floor as the son former seven-time PBA Best Import Bobby scored a game-high 25 points and shut down Almond Vosotros in the second half.

Vosotros, who scattered 15 points in the first half to keep the Archers in the game, went without a field goal and only scored on the line in the final two quarters to finish with 16 points.

Despite Vosotros being checked, the Archers still managed to wrest the lead behind the exploits of Luigi dela Paz and Jovet Mendoza as they embarked on an 8-1 run to close out the third quarter on top, 35-32.

Parks laced up his explosive offensive game with nine boards and four assists to tow the Bulldogs to fifth place with their fifth win in 13 games, tying their victim. – Alder Almo