The De La Salle Green Archers survived a dramatic comeback attempt by the UE Red Warriors, winning 97–88 in overtime as the second round of UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball opened with a tense showdown.
The October 21 victory at the Mall of Asia Arena gave La Salle a much-needed bounce-back win. But instead of cruising past a struggling opponent, the Green Archers were forced to fight through a late UE rally and an extra period before finally securing the result.
Mason Amos leads La Salle as UE refuses to back down
Mason Amos delivered a key performance for La Salle, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists. JC Macalalag contributed 14 points off the bench, while Henry Agunnane added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Joaquin Tovera and Andrei Dungo also made important contributions as La Salle eventually found a way to close out the game.
UE, however, showed why its record alone does not tell the full story. The Red Warriors repeatedly erased La Salle’s leads, applying pressure on the defending champions and forcing the game into overtime.
UE erases a 13-point deficit and forces overtime
La Salle appeared to be in control after building a 13-point advantage at 50–37 early in the third quarter.
But UE answered with a 22–9 run to tie the game at 59-all, turning what looked like a comfortable La Salle lead into a tightly contested battle.
The Red Warriors continued to apply pressure, briefly taking control before the Green Archers responded with another scoring surge. La Salle moved ahead 72–66 late in regulation, only for UE to claw its way back and tie the contest at 74-all.
With neither side able to deliver a decisive blow in the closing seconds, the game went to overtime.
Green Archers finally pull away in overtime
The extra period gave La Salle the opportunity to regain control, with Amos and Tovera helping the Green Archers establish separation.
UE continued to threaten, but La Salle made the necessary plays down the stretch. Crucial contributions from Mikey Cortez, Earl Abadam and Tovera helped the Green Archers protect their advantage and finish the game with a nine-point victory.
The win provided La Salle with an important result as the team pursues another championship, although the narrow escape also underscored the need for greater consistency in the games ahead.
UE’s losing streak reaches 28 games
While La Salle celebrated its overtime victory, UE was left facing another difficult chapter in its season.
The loss extended the Red Warriors’ consecutive defeats to 28 games, dating back to UAAP Season 87. According to Tiebreaker Times, that streak is now the second-longest in UAAP men’s basketball history, behind Adamson University’s 35-game losing streak from Seasons 62 to 65, spanning 1999 to 2002.
Despite the defeat, UE’s fight against La Salle offered evidence of its ability to challenge a title contender. The Red Warriors will need to turn those competitive stretches into victories if they hope to end their extended drought.
A critical second round for La Salle
The second round brings greater pressure for teams trying to secure a place in the Final Four. Every victory can influence the standings, while consecutive losses can make the road to the playoffs increasingly difficult.
La Salle’s overtime win offers a valuable starting point, but the Green Archers will need to build on it and avoid allowing opponents to erase substantial leads.
UE, meanwhile, faces the more immediate challenge of finding a breakthrough win and stopping its historic slide.
The result leaves both teams with questions to answer: Can La Salle regain championship-level consistency, and can UE finally turn its improved competitiveness into a victory? The next games will offer an early indication of what lies ahead.
