MANILA, Philippines -- De La Salle University had every opportunity to pull away from archrival Ateneo de Manila University in the second quarter of their UAAP Season 81 game on Sunday.

The Green Archers were up, 29-21, after Aljun Melecio knocked down a three-pointer, and the Blue Eagles were playing without a true center. Both Angelo Kouame and Isaac Go were saddled with two fouls, while starting power forward Raffy Verano also had a pair of fouls to his name.

That meant the Ateneo coaching staff had to risk a small line-up, with the 6-foot-5 William Navarro serving as their center, and the 6-foot-2 Thirdy Ravena playing as power forward. Together, they had to protect the paint against La Salle's talented frontcourt of Santi Santillan, Justine Baltazar, and comebacking Kiwi center Taane Samuel.

"The second quarter was pivotal for us," Ateneo assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga said after the game.

Instead of falling behind even further, the Blue Eagles made a stirring rally behind their "small" line-up. After trailing by as much as eight points in the second frame, they ended the period on an 11-2 run to force a 35-all deadlock at the half.

La Salle's frontline was unable to take advantage of their smaller counterparts: Santillan, Baltazar and Samuel combined for 20 points but were nearly matched by Ravena (7 points), Navarro (7 points), and Mike Nieto, who checked in as a small forward and promptly put up 5 points in the final minute of the first half.

Moreover, Ateneo out-rebounded La Salle, 26-19, in the first half even with Kouame, their top rebounder, playing just five minutes in the first quarter.

"We stepped it up defensively," Arespacochaga said. "We think that William Navarro did a great job for us in that second quarter."

• READ: Ateneo now top-seed in UAAP 81 after besting full-force La Salle

"He's a power forward but he had to play center for us and we had to go with Thirdy and Mike as our other pseudo-bigs. So that was key for us," he added.

For Navarro, who finished with 7 points and 5 rebounds in the game, he was simply stepping up, as is expected of him by his team.

"The opportunity presented itself," said the lanky forward, who played nearly 18 minutes in the game. "I really had to just step up my game, and contribute as much as I can… I just had to really do what I can do to help the team win."

Navarro also credited their coaching staff for their preparation for La Salle, saying: "Nag-train kami for this team for one week, so (we) really knew what to do to stop their offense."

Arespacochaga went on to praise Navarro for being the latest Blue Eagle to exemplify their "next man up" mentality.

"We had to depend on him," said Arespacochaga of Navarro, a transferee from San Beda University who is in his first year of playing for the Blue and White. "Even (third-string big man) Matthew Daves gave us quality minutes, and that enabled us to reserve Ange and George (Go) so that in the second half, they won't be in foul trouble."

"For us, that was the key -- to have William's performance in the second quarter really gave us a lift."

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