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Green Archers aim to trump streaking UE

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With the elimination round of the UAAP coming to an end, teams who are still in the run such as the UE Red Warriors and the DLSU Green Archers are looking to finish strong to keep their final four hopes alive. The Green Archers need to win the rest of their games to grab a twice-to-beat advantage. The Red Warriors, meanwhile, cannot afford to drop a match in order to earn the fourth and final spot.

First meeting
The last time these two teams met, the Green-and-White handed UE their first defeat as La Salle squeaked by and came away with the 60-58 victory. The Red Warriors had a stellar first half, but the Green Archers hustled back into contention. Jeron Teng provided the scoring for the Taft-based squad, garnering 18 points with his aggressive drives in the half-court. UE, on the other hand, executed a balanced attack led by their starters. With the game on the line, rookie forward Prince Rivero came to the rescue in the dying moments, scoring two vital baskets in the last two minutes to take the lead. Red Warrior Roi Sumang failed to send the game to overtime as his desperation shot was defended splendidly by sophomore Kib Montalbo.

Keys to victory for the Red Warriors
Looking back at their first meeting, the Red Warriors should focus on imposing the same amount of pressure upon the Green Archers. It proved to be really effective in their first meeting since this was one of the main struggles of the Green Archers last time. Also, if they are able to get Mammie and Sumang going early on, they may be able to gain momentum along with a boost in their morale. Lastly, sustainability and consistency is important especially in closing out games, which is as area that UE has been struggling with prior to their recent victories.

Keys to victory for the Green Archers
The story of the game for DLSU was the 36 turnovers that they have accumulated in their first match. In spite of their win that day, it was evident that La Salle was bothered by UE’s full court press. Given that, breaking the press of UE would be one of their main goals in their game on Wednesday. Also, it is implied that they should try to limit their turnovers this time around. If they are able to control the ball better, they will have more opportunities to score. With that said, better ball rotation would make it easier to get the ball to their big men in the paint where they have an advantage. Jeron Teng’s performance would also play a factor in this game. His output in wednesday’s game could say a lot about who will come out with the win.

Will the Red Warriors finally break the Green Archers with their pressure defense? Or will the Green Archers rise and overwhelm their opponents?

Things will be settled on September 10, Wednesday, at 2 pm in the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

 

Joseton Lichauco

By Joseton Lichauco

Marion Mamac

By Marion Mamac

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