The UP Fighting Maroons entered Saturday as the last undefeated team in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament—until Paul Francisco and the NU Bulldogs stunned last year’s runners‑up at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Francisco was pivotal in the upset, spearheading NU’s defensive charge with six steals, while also contributing 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Paul Francisco: A Defensive Anchor for the Bulldogs
This season, Paul Francisco has emerged as NU’s defensive lynchpin, starting in all three games and averaging a league‑best 3.0 steals. He credited head coach Jeff Napa’s constant reminder to “be a star in your role” as his guiding principle.
“Coach Jeff always reminds us to be a star in our role. I think this year my role is just to play more defense and that’s what I did today,” Francisco said.
He also praised the coaching staff’s preparation and scouting, which allowed the Bulldogs to execute their defensive schemes effectively. “We just sticked to the preparation of the coaches this entire week, and it showed in the game. The coaches just give us basically the food and we just have to eat it,” he added.
Bulldogs Put the Clamps on Fighting Maroons
Thanks in large part to Paul Francisco’s defensive brilliance, UP committed 15 turnovers, which NU converted into 26 points.
“They [coaching staff] laid out what we need to do at practice, and we just have to absorb it and put it on the court…,” Francisco explained.
The Bulldogs’ defensive effort secured a crucial victory, and they now turn their focus to their next challenge—the offensive‑minded guards of the Ateneo Blue Eagles on October 3 at the PhilSports Arena.
