Rey Suerte scored a career-high 31 points and his three-pointers lifted the UE Red Warriors to an 89-88 victory over the DLSU Green Archers on Saturday, September 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The two-time CESAFI MVP had back-to-back clutch three-pointers to give the Red Warriors its first victory in the UAAP Season 82 Men's Basketball tournament.
Suerte nailed a three-pointer with 15.4 seconds to play for an 86-85 UE lead. The Green Archers regained the lead as Aljun Melecio scored from beyond the arc, 88-86.
However, the one-and-done swingman from University of Visayas answered with another triple with 3.2 seconds left to put the Red Warriors into the win column.
Suerte, who shot 5-of-7 from behind the three, had also seven rebounds and three assist.
Rookie Neil Tolentino, who was cut from the lineup of Green Archers, added 19 markers and three boards for UE.
Justine Baltazar had 21 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks to lead the La Salle squad. Melecio added 21 points, 11 in the payoff period, in the defeat.