NU’s Jake Figueroa.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
MANILA, Philippines–Nationwide College rose to solo second place within the UAAP Season 86 males’s basketball event because the College of the Philippines made its greatest begin within the girls’s league in 15 years after staying unbeaten in 5 video games.
Behind the Bulldogs’ good week was the regular presence of Jake Figueroa, whereas the Combating Maroons continued to financial institution on Louna Ozar, who got here off a fruitful stint with the Gilas Pilipinas Girls within the nineteenth Asian Video games in Hangzhou, China.
Figueroa and Ozar thus earned the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Males’s and Girls’s Gamers of the Week, respectively, for the interval October 9 to fifteen.
After falling in opposition to league-leader UP, Figueroa served because the driving drive in NU’s 87-69 drubbing of the UST Growling Tigers final Wednesday and the 80-77 additional time victory over the streaking De La Salle Inexperienced Archers on Sunday.
He averaged 13.0 factors, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in two video games to assist the Bulldogs leap to 4-1 behind the unbeaten Combating Maroons (5-0).
Figueroa edged FEU’s L-Jay Gonzales, UP’s Harold Alarcon, La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao, and Adamson’s Ced Manzano for the weekly quotation.
With NU trailing La Salle by three in regulation, Figueroa hit a booming nook three with about 12 seconds remaining to tie the sport and drive additional time, the place the Bulldogs took over.
“I simply adopted the sport plan and our preparation. I embraced the position given to me by coach Jeff (Napa). That’s why my recreation got here out,” stated Figueroa in Filipino after delivering 15 factors, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 37 minutes in opposition to La Salle.
“Jake unleashed his ‘Mighty Thor’. I’m speechless as a result of he performed 37 minutes and simply requested for one-minute relaxation then he checked in,” stated NU head coach Jeff Napa of the previous UAAP Juniors’ MVP.
UP’s Louna Ozar.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
Within the girls’s division, Ozar grew to become the second Combating Maroon to win the weekly award after her teammate Favour Onoh earned the primary nod of Season 86.
The 5-foot-8 rookie helped UP keep its flawless marketing campaign with wins over the FEU Tamaraws, 64-61, and the UST Golden Tigresses, 73-69, to earn the popularity over Ateneo’s Kacey dela Rosa, NU’s Camille Clarin and teammate Kaye Pesquera.
The Fil-French guard, who averaged 15.5 factors, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and three.0 steals in two video games, was large for the Combating Maroons however she tipped her hat to her teammates.
“From the beginning, we have been combating till the tip. And, we all the time help one another,” stated Ozar, who had 16 factors and 4 steals in opposition to UST in additional time on Saturday.
Ozar and UP attempt to lengthen their unbeaten run to 6 video games in opposition to La Salle on Wednesday on the Adamson Fitness center.
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Figueroa and NU, however, search to maintain the solo second place once they battle the UE Pink Warriors additionally on Wednesday on the MOA Enviornment.