The Golden Guardians dominated Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) Stallions, 67 – 54, in the final elimination round of the 23rd National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NAASCU) at the Immaculate Heart (IH) Gymnasium, November 26.
After a back-and-forth opening that saw the teams deadlocked at 5-5, Golden Guardians seized control behind team captain Louise Lagman’s consecutive three-pointers and steady contributions from Semaco Sacmar.s.
Carl Timbol ignited the surge with a precise overhead pass to Brod Wilson Soriano, who glided in for a clean sky play that pushed the lead to 15 – 7.
Refusing to fold, the MLQU Stallions chipped away with an offensive rebound and a free throw that carved the deficit down to three in the last two minutes, though the Golden Guardians managed to hold the line — first quarter closed with the hosts up 17 – 14.
The Golden Guardians extended their advantage in the second quarter, Charles Ajie and JL De Guzman, together with Joren Gegante and Soriano, scored an eight-point run, 25 – 14, in four and a half minutes while the opposing team failed to score.
However, the visiting team narrowed the gap to eight points in an attempt to catch the homecourt kings, but the Golden Guardians held firm and maintained a seven-point lead, 37 – 30.
Pushing to seize the lead in the third quarter, the Stallions stayed within striking distance of the HAU squad at 39 – 37 midway through the half, but the Kapampangan players refused to yield any ground.
A standout moment in the third quarter came from Gegante, who faked out defenders with a pump fake before finishing with a smooth finger roll, which extended the Golden Guardians’ lead to eight points. The Golden Guardians ended the third quarter with a commanding 15-point cushion at 51 – 38.
The opposing team hoped to strike for a quick comeback with points from jump shots and a three-pointer in the last quarter, backed by a double-double performance from MLQU’s Sean Julian, but the Guardians held the lead despite struggling to gather points, 58 – 53.
Despite a strong performance, Gegante was removed from the game after committing an unsportsmanlike foul followed by a second technical infraction, leaving the court with two violations.
With 50 seconds remaining, Lagman sealed the game at 67 – 54 with a two-point shot that served as the final blow and secured the homecourt victory.
In an interview, Lagman expressed gratitude for the team’s first homecourt win despite a loss to the New Era University Hunters in the 22nd season of NAASCU.
“Masaya at thankful kasi nakuha namin yung win sa home court namin dahil nakabawi kami sa loss namin last year,” Lagman said.
He added that the team’s “hunger to win” and the “support of the HAU community” gave them the edge that led to their victory.
“Tyaka gusto lang naming i-close out ‘yung NAASCU season namin with a win para ma-boost ‘yung confidence namin sa mga upcoming leagues pa namin” the team captain explained.
With this match, the Guardians ended their stint in the seniors’ division with a record of 2 – 6.
