The DLSU Green Archers will aim to bounce back from last Saturday’s heartbreaking loss to the Adamson Soaring Falcons when they take on the NU Bulldogs, whose tough loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles also put their Final Four hopes in jeopardy, today, October 28, at 4 pm in the Mall of Asia Arena.
La Salle and NU last faced each other on the second day of the first round, wherein the Green Archers pulled off a 67-63 win over the Bulldogs. Jeron Teng led DLSU with 18 points and four rebounds, but he had help as rookie Andrei Caracut, Jason Perkins, and Prince Rivero combined for 37 points in the win. Gelo Alolino and JJ Alejandro were the only NU players in double figures, with the former finishing with 16 points and six rebounds, while the latter had 15 points on two three-pointers.
Despite holding an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter of last Saturday’s game, the Green Archers could not hold off the Adamson Falcons, allowing AdU to snatch a 75-74 victory that could have made DLSU’s path to the Final Four easier. Rivero led DLSU with 23 points and 11 rebounds, but he missed the crucial free throw that could have sent the game into overtime. Teng added 22 points, five rebounds, and seven assists but he was the only other Green Archer to score more than 10 points. Papi Sarr, who finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds, made the free throws that handed Adamson their second victory in Season 78.
Last Sunday, NU could not overcome Kiefer Ravena’s six consecutive three-pointers in the opening quarter as the Bulldogs fell to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 68-59. Ravena finished with 32 points while Von Pessumal scored 20 to secure the victory for Ateneo. NU was led by Alolino, who finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Alfred Aroga had 10 points and 14 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to let NU inch closer to the last Final Four slot.
Key for the Green Archers in today’s game would be to outrebound the Bulldogs, as NU finished with only 39 rebounds in their loss to Ateneo. Keeping Aroga in check will also be crucial to securing the victory as the reigning Finals MVP was limited to only nine points in his game against DLSU. As a team, the Bulldogs are seventh in the league in rebounds, averaging only 41.7 rebounds in 11 games. La Salle is number two on that list, grabbing 47.4 rebounds per game. Josh Torralba did not suit up for DLSU in their opening game so he will give the Green Archers a different look as compared to their season opener.
NU will look to force La Salle into taking ill-advised shots, as many of the shots that the Green Archers took against Adamson late in the fourth quarter were either contested or taken way too early in the possession. Aroga will try to find his way around the Green Archers’ frontline as he has yet to clinch a victory over DLSU since he entered the UAAP. Alolino will continue to get his teammates involved while remaining a threat on the offensive end.
With only a few games left before the Final Four, both teams cannot afford to take any of their remaining games for granted. La Salle’s schedule remains as one of the toughest as they will take on Ateneo, UP, and FEU in the next few weeks, while NU will also face the Fighting Maroons and the Tamaraws to round out their season. Two teams with one goal will try bounce back from equally hindering losses in this afternoon’s must-win game, where it isn’t a question of who had the better stats or the better record, but simply a question of who wants it more.
