#FilOil2019: NU pull off comebacker over FEU for a bounce-back win

SAN JUAN -- National U trailed for almost the entire game before staging a late fightback to take away the win over FEU, 82-77 to open the Seniors division triple-headers of the FilOil-Flying V Preseason Cup Tuesday afternoon at the FilOil Flying V Centre.

Jamike Jarin's Bulldogs were down by as much as ten in the third, and five in the final 2:26 where  they bite the hardest, scoring the game's final ten points for a bounce-back win, after dropping their Group B opener against Letran last Sunday.

Dave Ildefonso led all scorers with 19 points, despite having a bad day on the court after hitting only 7/19 from the field, with Robert Minerva backstop the former Blue Eaglet with 14.

John Lloyd Clemente capped off the trio of double-digit scorers with 10, none bigger than his booming triple to give NU an unassailable 81-77 lead with 20.7 ticks left, after Ildefonso split from the line fourteen seconds earlier.

Before that, the Tamaraws enjoyed the biggest lead at 65-55 courtesy of Rey Bienes, but they were pegged back by costly turnovers to send them to their second straight defeat.

The scores:

NU 82 -- Ildefonso 19, Minerva 14, Clemente 10, Gaye 9, Mosqueda 7, Oczon 7, Tibayan 6, Rangel 6, Galinato 2, Chatman 2. Abatayo 0, Diputado 0, Mangayao 0, Gallego 0

FEU 77 -- Stockton 15, Comboy 13, Ebona 10, Tuffin 8, Alforque 8, Bienes 6, Flores 6, Nunag 5, Tchuente 4, Gonzales 2, Celzo 0, Gloria 0

Quarter scores: 21-28, 36-42, 61-68, 82-77

(photo: NU's Dave Ildefonso uses Jonas Tibayan's pick to distance himself from FEU's Ken Tuffin. FilOil Flying V Sports)