La Salle Holds Off Adamson’s Furious Rally for 85–82 Win

UAAP La Salle survived a massive fourth-quarter comeback by Adamson to escape with an 85–82 victory on Sunday in the 19th Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup in San Juan.

Luis Pablo delivered two critical baskets in the closing minutes, and Jacob Cortez sealed the win with a clutch triple from beyond the arc with 19.7 seconds left, giving the Green Archers an 85–80 cushion. La Salle had earlier blown a 25-point second-half lead.

“Magandang reference ito para sa amin with what happened kanina. Yun ang kailangan namin i-work on sa team: to stay composed, lalo na sa situations na ganoon,” said Pablo, who led La Salle with 14 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.

Cortez finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Vhoris Marasigan added 12 points and four rebounds as the Archers improved to 3–1.

The win was far from easy, however, as Adamson unleashed a scorching 19–0 run to erase the deficit and tie the game at 74 with 2:47 remaining, setting up a tense finish.

The Soaring Falcons dropped to 0–3 following Ateneo’s withdrawal from the tournament. Jonah Precious led Adamson with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Manu Anabo scored 14 points on two made threes.

In other games, San Beda and Jose Rizal University stayed perfect in the NCAA Group, extending their unbeaten runs to 5–0.

The Red Lions edged Perpetual Help, 62–60, behind RC Calimag’s heroics. Calimag scored 11 points, including a crucial three-pointer that gave San Beda a 61–56 lead with 1:34 left. Aldous Torculas added 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in a balanced attack.

The Altas fell to 1–3, with JD Pagulayan and Angelo Gelsano each scoring eight points.

Meanwhile, JRU’s Heavy Bombers rallied in the fourth quarter to stun Emilio Aguinaldo College, 87–84. Lawrence Mangubat exploded for 25 points, four rebounds, and nine assists, leading a 24-point final period. Stephen Garupil and Sean Salvador combined for 23 points in support.

The Generals dropped to 1–4 despite MJ Raymundo’s 16-point effort.

Finally, Mapúa cruised past St. Benilde, 84–67, for its second win. Marc Cyrus Cuenco led the way with 19 points, four assists, and four steals as the Cardinals forced 22 turnovers. Marc Igliane added 13 points, while Cyrus Nitura posted a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds). CSB fell to 2–3, with Joshua Cajucom scoring 13 points.