Nelson Asaytono headlines final 10 in PBA 50 Greatest list
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UP pulls off major upset, hands NU first defeat of the season
The University of the Philippines (UP) delivered one of the biggest surprises of UAAP Season 87.
The Fighting Maroons snapped defending champion National University’s perfect run, clawing their way back from the brink to pull off a 26-24, 23-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12 victory on Wednesday afternoon, March 26, at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
UP’s fiery start in the opening set proved crucial as they erased NU’s 24-23 advantage with three straight points, including two clutch attacks from Niña Ytang and an error from Alyssa Solomon.
PHOTO COURTESY: UAAP MEDIA
Ytang exploded for 30 points, leading UP to its first triumph over NU since their second-round meeting in Season 80 back in 2018.
Ytang’s dominant outing marked the highest-scoring performance by a Fighting Maroon since Tots Carlos’ 32-point game against University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the same season. Additionally, she became the first middle blocker to reach the 30-point mark since Jaja Santiago accomplished the feat that year.
On the other hand, NU, now at 8-1, saw its 11-game winning streak come to an abrupt end.
Despite the loss, Bella Belen put up a stellar triple-double performance with 21 points, 13 excellent digs, and 12 excellent receptions.
Looking to build on this momentum, UP will take on the still-winless University of the East (UE) on March 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, while NU will try to recover when they clash with Far Eastern University (FEU) on the same day and venue.
