DLSU drags NU to a do-or-die UAAP semis showdown

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers lived another day and avoided early elimination following a convincing 87-77 victory over the National University (NU) Bulldogs in the ongoing UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Final Four on Dec. 3, 2025, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

With the much-needed win, the Green Archers erased NU’s twice-to-beat advantage, forcing the last UAAP semifinal series to a winner-take-all Game 2 showdown.

Boosted by the return of superstar guard Kean Baclaan after a gruesome medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury, the Green Archers ran over the top-seeded NU squad with a rare complete lineup.

For the first time in nearly two months, DLSU graced the UAAP hardwood with a healthy roster, as they also welcomed back EJ Gollena and Vhon Marasigan, who both served penalties due to their respective unsportsmanlike fouls.

The Green Archers immediately flexed their full artillery as early as the opening quarter, securing a confidence-boosting 22-9 lead built from a collective effort by Jacob Cortez, Mike Phillips, and Gollena.

Cortez picked up where he left off after a legendary eliminator game performance that ousted Ateneo, coming out of the gates piping hot with a series of relentless drives to the basket.

Just when DLSU thought they could sustain their high-octane attack, Jake Figueroa and the Bulldogs finally shrugged off their on-court rust, countering with a massive second-quarter rally to pull within a deuce at the half, 48-46.

However, another DLSU scoring avalanche overwhelmed the Bulldogs midway through the third frame, capping off the quarter with a 19-8 run for another double-digit lead heading into the final canto.

From a perimeter-oriented offense, the Green Archers kept NU guessing when they switched their point of attack to the shaded lane, feeding Phillips and Luis Pablo in the post, which ballooned DLSU’s cushion to 71-54.

The 1-2 punch of Reinhard Jumamoy and Figueroa tried to uplift the NU community when they took turns scoring to trim the deficit to single digits, but the waxing-hot DLSU squad always had answers, wrapping up their first encounter with a flawless dub.

Cortez spearheaded DLSU’s victory with 13 points, while the ever-reliable Phillips stuffed the stat sheet once again with 12 markers, seven rebounds, and two blocks.

The returning duo of Gollena and Marasigan didn’t show any signs of slowing down as they chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Baclaan produced six markers in his first game back from an MCL injury.

Can NU recover in time and avoid an upset? Or will the Green Archers make another return to the UAAP Finals and face their archrivals, UP?

All these questions will be answered on Dec. 6, 2025, when both schools meet again in the winner-take-all UAAP Final Four clash.