Jan Colina of Adamson University (left) uses his body to protect the ball against Mervin Baloran of National University during their UAAP basketball tournament duel at The Arena in San Juan City on Saturday. The Falcons won, 79-50. (BOB DUNGO JR.)

Games on Sunday (Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. — UST vs Ateneo
4 p.m. — FEU vs UE

University of the Philippines sent La Salle crashing down, 83-78, at The Arena in San Juan City on Saturday to keep alive its Final Four dreams in the 72nd UAAP basketball tournament.

Adamson similarly stayed alive by playing its best game of the season to crush National University, 79-50.

Both the Fighting Maroons and the Falcons improved their win-loss cards to 3-7 to stay just 2 ½ games behind co-third placers University of the East and University of Santo Tomas with still four games to play in the elimination round.

The Archers, who lost their fourth straight game, dropped to 4-4 while the Bulldogs stayed in the cellar at 1-8.

Rookie guard Mikee Reyes, a recruit from La Salle-Greenhills, took the cudgels for the Maroons as he dominated his defenders, firing a career-high 25 points on 4-of-7 triples complemented with five rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes of action.

“Ever since the start of the season, I wanted to beat La Salle. We didn’t beat them in the pre-season so this win makes it sweeter,” said Reyes.

“Mikee played against his alma mater and wanted to show his A-game and prove that he belongs in the league,” UP coach Aboy Castro said.

Former RP Youth standout Mark Lopez finished what Reyes started, breaking a 74-all deadlock with six consecutive points that put them ahead by three before a defensive stop that forced Hyram Bagatsing to commit a turnover with 7.8 ticks to go sealed the Maroons’ victory.

In the first game, The Falcons worked behind a swarming offense while keeping their defensive stance tight to hand the fading Bulldogs their worst defeat this season.

“Tingin ko nagkataon lang na maganda ang pinakita naming laro habang sila naman pangit,” Adamson coach Leo Austria said.

The San Marcelino-based dribblers took sixth spot in the standings, 2 ½ games behind both UST and UE in the race to the Final Four with four games left in the elimination round.

Veteran guard Leo Canuday fired 4-of-7 treys to finish with a team-high 12 points, Aldrin Margallo and big man Jan Colina had 11 points each while Alex Nuyles chipped in 10 markers as the Falcons shot 47-percent from the field.

The scores:
First Game
ADAMSON 79 — Canuday 12, Margallo 11, Colina 11, Nuyles 10, Canada 8, Alvarez 8, Galinato 6, Camson 6, Cabrera 5, Basilio 2, Penalosa 0, Sandoval 0, Ruiz 0, Lozada 0, Lapitan 0.
NU 50 — Baloran 16, Terso 10, Hermosisima 9, Luy 3, Batac 3, Tungcul 2, Singh 2, Ponferrada
2, Manito 2, Roy 1, Malanday 0, Magat 0, Fabula 0, Cabaluna 0.
Quarters: 29-20, 48-37, 72-45, 79-50.

Second Game
UP 83 — Reyes Mi. 25, Co 13, Lopez 11, Padilla 9, Sison 8, Astorga 6, de Asis 5, Reyes Ma. 4, Gingerich 2, Maniego 0, Gomez 0, Braganza 0.
LA SALLE 78 — Barua 18, Mangahas 15, Webb 11, Villanueva 10, Malabes 10, Co 6, Mendoza 2, Marata 2, Bringas 2, Bagatsing 1, Andrada 1, Tolentino 0, Manguerra 0, Banal 0.
Quarters: 26-16, 40-35, 70-69, 83-78.