Evan Nelle of La Salle. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Evan Nelle missed his potentially tie-up shot and La Salle’s 14-point fall in the 4th quarter as the Green Archers failed to make it to the UAAP Season 84 Men’s Basketball Finals .
“Like Deschon (Winston) said, we’ve got it. We were short, we couldn’t convert, we couldn’t have a breakpoint. We tried to get up,” said Nelle after La Salle’s 78-74 loss to the University of the Philippines in their do-or-die Final on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
After Carl Tamayo scored the crucial goal and1 to put UP into a 76-74 lead with only 21.5 seconds left, the referee guard tried to equalize the game with a floating player but it veered off course. when Tamayo grabbed the rebound and forged their Final against Ateneo with two free throws.
Nelle, who free up 26 points to beat UP Last Wednesday, struggled in the most important game, shooting 2/12 from the field with six points to come with four rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Winston took home La Salle with 26 points but the Green Archers scored just two goals in the final seven minutes.
“It wasn’t enough. The season, it was kicked. We defended well but in attack, we were never consistent,” said Nelle. “That’s why we’ve had so many close games. We know we’ve got them, we should win this game. We have so much to learn.”
Nelle apologized to La Salle fans as they won bronze after reaching their first Final in five years.
“We regret that we were short. We will take this and come back next season,” he said.
The keeper will lead the Green Archers, the team that will be free of seniors Justine Baltazar and Kurt Lojera in Season 85 scheduled to be set for September this year.
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