“I’m grateful that Coach Gee [Abanilla] entrusted me with the last shot. I knew I had to contribute,” rookie Jeron Teng shared.
With the game on the line, and with the threat of having another extra period just like the team’s first outing with the Tigers, Jeron Teng struck the Tigers hard to bring DLSU the much needed win against UST last August 29, 2012 at the Arena at the Mall of Asia.
After Karim Abdul forced the Taft-Based squad to call time as the Tiger tied the game at 51 apiece with under 3.3 seconds left, Teng, guarded by Kevin Ferrer, drove the ball to the lane and took a left elbow jumper that gave DLSU a resounding 53-51 win.
“The strategy was to get them open and use his skills, driving skills and find a shot. I know Jeron; he could very well create a shot for himself and we’re very happy about it,” said an optimistic Abanilla after the game.
The Archers now have a 6-3 win-loss record which ranks the team at fourth place in the standings, further separating the Archers from the National University Bulldogs.
“We’re very happy. As I’ve said, we are still within striking distance but the good thing about this situation right now is that we got a separation from NU. So a lot of things can happen, this is the time for us to really focus,” adds coach Abanilla.
Filling big shoes
With Team Captain L.A. Revilla sidelined because of an ankle injury, LSGH standout Thomas Torres had to fill in the void that the team captain had left.
Torres delivered 10 points including a crucial corner three-pointer with less than 3 minutes in regulation to push La Salle’s lead to four, 47-43. The rookie also nailed two crucial freebies with 51.1 seconds left to extend the Archers’ lead to 51-47.
“A lot of nerves for that boy [Thomas Torres],” praised Abanilla.
Almond Vosotros also contributed to the win; he top scored for the Green-and-White cagers with 12 points, all of which coming from beyond the arc, and dished out three dimes. Teng added nine markers and seven boards despite struggling throughout the game with a 4-of-13 shooting clip.
On the other hand, UST’s Cameroonian center Abdul notched a game-high of 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists; Jeric Fortuna had seven points, five boards and his usual five passes a game.
Tenacious D
Despite struggling offensively, shooting 28.1 percent from the field, the Abanilla-mentored squad relied on their stingy defense to clamp down the Tigers, holding the Espaňa-based squad at 51 points on a 39.7 shooting percentage.
Lanky swingman Aljon Mariano was not able to pass the Green defenders. The former San Beda Red Cub only managed to score nine points, grabbed four rebounds, which is far below his averages; he fouled out in the last canto.
After connecting 6-of-9 outside shots in their previous encounter, Espaňa sniper Clark Bautista was shackled by the Archer defense, which denied him of his usual trifectas.
La Salle also took most of the rebounds, 44-32; Norbert Torres led with 8 boards.
The Archers surprised the audience as the team capitalized on trips to the foul line, shooting an impressive 82.4 percent and connecting 14 out of 17 shots.
“I think the boys stuck with our game plan. We tried to deny all the three-point shooters, we know for a fact that UST is the number one team in three-points, number one also in three-point attempts with 20, they are also number one in offensive rebounds and second-chance points,” praised Coach Abanilla for the team’s defense.
Rivalry awaits
After falling apart in the last game against arch nemesis Ateneo, with a painful 71-61 defeat, La Salle has another shot for redemption this coming Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With two key cogs in Revilla and Andrada still on the bench, Coach Abanilla hopes that his squad would challenge the defending UAAP Champions, and deal the team its second defeat of the season.
“We’ve got to bring out our experience. We just do our best come Saturday,” concludes coach Abanilla.
The game would be a crucial one for the Archers as the squad bids for a final four spot.
The scores:
DLSU (53) – Vosotros 12, T. Torres 10, Teng 9, N. Torres 8, Van Opstal 7, Mendoza 5, Manguera 2, Paredes 0, Gotladera 0, Tallo 0, Webb 0, Tampus 0.
UST (51) – Abdul 14, Mariano 9, Afuang 9, Fortuna 7, Teng 6, Vigil 2, Ferrer 2, Bautista 2, Pe 0, Lo 0, Daquioag 0.
Quarterscores: 10-15, 22-27, 39-37, 53-51.
