With early elimination just a heartbeat away, leave it to coach Aric Del Rosario to summon an unimpeachable source of strength in the homestretch.

"Nagdasal na lang ako" said Del Rosario moments after the University of Santo Tomas Tigers gained an inside track for the last UAAP Final Four berth following a scary 75-70 beating of National University in overtime at the NInoy Aquino Stadium Thursday.

"Hindi pa rin sumunod sa instruction noong regulation kaya tumawag na lang ako sa taas" added Del Rosario, whose wards improved to 8-6 (win-loss) and will hope that UE loses to FEU this Saturday to clinch the last play-off berth.

A UE victory will force a rubber match between the two winningest UAAP cage squads for the coveted Final Four seat.

Del Rosario's prayers were indeed answered in the extra period, as the suddenly defense-oriented Tigers forced Bulldogs to a single point even as Nini Gelig pushed UST ahead on a three-point play, 72-69.

It took NU four errors before netting its lone point in overtime from the free throw line, before Marvin Ortiguerra and Cyrus Baguio scored three more from the foul line to seal the hard earned victory.

But it was former UST junior standout Emerson Oreta who kept the Tigers in the contest in regulation, knocking in his sixth three-pointer with six seconds left, which sent the game into overtime at 69-all.

Prior to Oreta's big triple, the Bulldogs were very much in control, as UST offered a not so formidable resistance to NU's deft outside shooting and repeated drives to the basket.

Oreta scattered 20 points to pace UST, which captured four straight titles in the 90's.

Earlier, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons registered a 64-51 victory against Adamson, which closed out its campaign in the 63rd season without a single victory in 14 games.

UP bowed out with four wins and ten defeats.

The Scores:

First Game
UP 64- Nunag 14, Bornancin 12, Ferrer 11, Almeda 5, Marcos 5, Santos 4,
Jomalasa 4, Bravo 4, Cervantes 2, Celo 2, Guidaben 0.

ADU- Lee 10, Yong 8, Ferrer 5, Mangulabnan 5, Mamaclay 4, Layug 4, Cinco 2.

Half-time: 28-21.

Second Game
UST 75- Oreta 20, Ortiguerra 15, Baguio 12, Gelig 7, Espiritu 5, Agleron 4,
Latoreno 5, Manching 3, Manansala 2, Lao 0.

NU 70- Cayabyab 11, Neo 11, Manabat 10, Napa 10, Mapanao 10, Mendoza 8,
Baguion 3, de Castro 2, Necesito2, Tolentino 1.