“We’re beating good teams and the team really has the heart, the Lasallian heart,”
said Br. Bernie Oca FSC, Vice Chancellor for Lasallian Mission and Alumni Relations, after the Archers pulled off three straight wins to enter the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup finals.
The Archers has won over defending Filoil and four-peat UAAP champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, the Phillippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) champions San Sebastian Golden Stags in the quarterfinals, and NCAA back-to-back champions San Beda Red Lions in the semis.
The team is set to face the still undefeated National University Bulldogs in the finals.
The Green-and-White squad members had struggled in their semi-finals duel with the Red Lions, committing 19 turnovers but the team from Taft compensated with tight defense and clutch play that paid dividends in their 50-46 encounter last June 9 at the Arena in San Juan.
Norbert Torres produced his usual 12 points and 10 boards while Archer floor generals L.A. Revilla and Almond Vosotros tallied nine and seven points respectively.
After a career-high of 17 points in the last two games, rookie sensation Jeron Teng scrapped a mere five points on 29 percent shooting as he was being hounded by the San Beda defense.
Baser Amer and Jake Pascual both scored 10 points for the Lions while Nigerian center Ola Adeogun registered seven points and six rebounds.
With a slight 41-38 rebounding advantage, the Archers kept their tough defense, which led them to reject five Red Lion shots.
“I think we played good defense,” said head Coach Gee Abanilla after the game.
The boys from Mendiola only tasted the lead once when Melo Lim opened the game with a triple. Since then, the men from Taft took control, allowing the Lions to tie the game halfway the payback period.
With a late Bedan run, the Archers stepped up after the trio of Torres, Revilla, and Vosotros swished in key baskets and exchanged clutch shot after clutch shot during a nail-biting 4th quarter.
After Amer cashed in a triple midway in the final canto for a 38-all knot, Vosotros answered back with a tough baseline jumper and a dagger trey from the top of the key, sustaining a slim 43-40 lead with under two minutes to play.
With Anjo Caram knocking down a jumper to trim the lead to 43-42, Torres responded back via a tough hook shot and sank the freebie after drawing a foul over the outstretched arms of J. Pascual and Adeogun.
The 6-foot-6 Torres swelled the La Salle lead to 46-42 with 51.5 seconds left, forcing the Lions to call time.
“I just want to play hard and whatever the outcome is individually it doesn’t even matter as long as the team wins and goes together,” said Torres after catalyzing a major part of the team’s fourth quarter close out.
Revilla iced the game for good after a foul by Adeogun, sending the ticked player to the foul line with 11 seconds left in regulation.
“I love it! [laughs] I love players stepping up. It’s all about owning the game when it counts so I think that’s good,” said La Salle head coach Abanilla after crediting Torres, Revilla and Vosotros, for stepping up during crunch time.
The Taft ballers finally broke from the team’s free throw funk shooting at the 78 percent clip compared to the Lions pedestrian 36 percent shooting.
“Very big improvement, I was not worried about the free throws because the boys were just pressured because I can see them during practices making free throws. So missing free throws is more of a mindset.” Coach Abanilla explained.
With this win, the Archers are set to duel with UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks and the NU Bulldogs for the crown while the Red Lions and Blue Eagles will battle for third place this coming Tuesday.
Quarter scores: 16-15, 27-19, 35-31, 50-46
More photos at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150897960704760.424577.149678604759&type=3
One reply on “Heart and Pride: Archers book Finals trip with win over Lions”
im proud to be green and white