The La Salle Green Archers, UP Fighting Maroons, NU Bulldogs, and UST Growling Tigers completed the quarterfinal cast of the Asiabasket NSAC 2026 College Basketball Campus Tour after securing Round of 16 wins Sunday at the UP Varsity Training Center in Quezon City.
La Salle Prevails in NSAC 2026 “Battle of Taft”
In a sibling rivalry that lived up to the billing, La Salle, the No. 2 seed from Group D, extended its winning streak to three with a 76‑66 victory over Group A’s No. 3 seed Benilde Blazers.
The win sends the UAAP Season 88 champions into a quarterfinal meeting with the Tamaraws.
La Salle turned a tie into a double‑digit lead late in the fourth quarter—JC Macalalag broke the 66‑all deadlock with a layup and a jumper, and Mason Amos followed with a triple to push the margin to 74‑66. Macalalag then iced the game from the free‑throw line, stretching La Salle’s lead to 10, and Benilde failed to score in the closing possessions as the Green Archers closed out the 76‑66 result.
Luis Pablo paced the winners with 16 points on 77.8% shooting from the field, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Macalalag added 13 points and 3 rebounds. Allen Liwag led the Blazers with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists; Benilde will face the Golden Stags in the classification round.
UP Extends Unbeaten Run in NSAC 2026
Later, Group A leader UP kept its perfect run intact with an 87‑60 rout of Group D fourth seed Adamson Soaring Falcons on its home floor.
The Fighting Maroons pulled away for good in the fourth quarter, stretching a 15‑point lead to as many as 28 behind a balanced attack from Veejay Pre, Sean Alter, Arvie Poyos, and LA Andres. Adamson tried to respond with triples from Noah Pacquiao and baskets from Mahathir Edding and Zaheer Sajili, but UP’s defence forced turnovers and converted in transition.
UP sealed the 87‑60 win with a late layup from Miguel Yñiguez, while Poyos produced back‑to‑back steals in the closing seconds. Pre finished with a game‑high 27 points on 92.3% shooting from the field, along with 8 rebounds and 2 assists, and Alter added 15 points on 77.8% shooting and eight rebounds. Adamson’s Precious Jonah led his side with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
The Soaring Falcons will meet the Chiefs in the NSAC 2026 classification round.
NU Welcomes Back PJ Palacielo in Round of 16 Win
Group B second seed NU booked a quarterfinal date with the Fighting Maroons after downing Group C third seed Arellano Chiefs, 87‑76.
NU staved off Arellano’s late surge in the fourth, rebuilding a 20‑point cushion at 77‑57 behind Reinhard Jumamoy’s triple and Paul Francisco’s steady interior play. The Chiefs cut the lead to 11 late on baskets from T‑Mc Ongotan and Rayjohn Ladica, but John Vincent Reyes and Francisco hit key shots to close out the 87‑76 victory.
PJ Palacielo paced all scorers with 18 points and 6 rebounds, while Justine Garcia chipped in 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. For Arellano, Ongotan posted 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 steals, and Renzo Abiera added 12 points in the loss.
Collins Akowe Makes NSAC 2026 Debut for UST
Group B top seed UST remained unbeaten, cruising past Group C fourth seed St. Clare College Saints, 87‑55, to set up a quarterfinal clash with Ateneo de Manila University.
UAAP Season 88 Rookie of the Year Collins Akowe made his tournament debut for the Growling Tigers and finished with 21 points and eight rebounds. Mark Llemit contributed 17 points on 87.5% shooting, with 7 rebounds. Megan Galang led St. Clare with 16 points, while Babacar Nndong, making his first appearance, posted 12 points and 13 rebounds.
NSAC 2026 quarterfinal action is scheduled for May 23 at the Villavicencio Court at the Enrique M. Razon Sports Complex, De La Salle University, Manila. The classification round schedule will be announced at a later date.
