UNIVERSITY of the Visayas product Rey Anthony Suerte capped off his one season with the University of the East with a bang as he led the Red Warriors to a 79-77 victory over the National University Bulldogs in the UAAP Season 82 men's basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019.
The two-time Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) Most Valuable Player gave the Red Warriors something to remember him by as he scored on a corner trey to shove UE in front, 74-72, with 42 seconds remaining. NU's up-and-coming star Dave Ildefonso tied the game at 74-all with a deuce but Suerte answered right back with a floater that kissed the glass before dropping in to put UE back in front, 76-74, with just 20 ticks to go.
A miss by Ildefonso on the other end proved costly as Suerte and guard Philip Manalang sealed the victory with free-throws.
Suerte ended the game with 28 points, 20 of which came in the second half. He ended his season with averages of 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
UE ended the season with a 4-10 win-loss record, which is an improvement from their 1-13 card last season. (JNP)