Carrying the burden of their two consecutive heartbreaking losses against the undefeated FEU Tamaraws and the preseason favorite UE Red Warriors on their shoulders, the DLSU Green Archers aim to bounce back as they face this season’s host, the AdU Soaring Falcons, on Wednesday at 4 pm in the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
La Salle dropped to sixth in the team standings after a two point loss at the hands of UE. Meanwhile, Adamson’s surprising victory versus the NU Bulldogs gave them a share of the second spot along with the UST Growling Tigers with a 3-2 slate.
Last season, the Green Archers were able to dominate the Soaring Falcons during both meetings of the elimination round, scoring 72-59 and 56-52 victories respectively. The opposing teams finished the last season in separate directions with La Salle ending up in the Final 4 while Adamson was 7th place for the season.
Equal spotlight
Since emerging in the Green Archers’ sweet victory last June 30 against the ADMU Blue Eagles, Arnold van Opstal has been one of the players to count on for head coach Juno Sauler. The 6’7” De La Salle Zobel alumnus has been consistent since his breakthrough performance of 19 points and eight rebounds against Ateneo and it has boosted his season averages to 10.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, team captain Norbert Torres and heralded rookie Jason Perkins will also be players to watch out for. The efforts of the trio of van Opstal, Torres and Perkins has given La Salle the distinction as the best rebounding team in the league at 48.2 per game. Torres leads the team with 9.4 rebounds per game while Perkins is second with 8.6 a contest. The Green-and-White big men will try to even out the post players of Adamson, namely the imposing Cameroonian Ingrid Sewa and veteran Rodney Brondial.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Jeron Teng remains aggressive with his drives and short jumpers despite his problems from the free throw line where he converts only 28 percent of his attempts on the season. Despite his struggles from the free throw line, Teng still averages a team-best 16.2 points per game. Veteran guard Almond Vosotros continues to be one of the most reliable players for the Taft-based squad, tying Teng with an average of 16.2 points per outing. These two will be matched up against the high-scoring duo of Jericho Cruz and Roider Cabrera who average a combined 30 points per game on an array of outside shots and aggressive drives to the basket.
Defeat as a motivation
Much has been said and heard regarding the men from Taft Avenue. They have been criticized for their poor shooting from the free throw line and several crucial late-game errors that have led to their three losses thus far. However, count on to the untiring efforts of head coach Juno Sauler and the rest of his coaching staff to conquer the hurdles and correct the flaws of the squad come game day.
As the Green Archers battle it out against the Soaring Falcons for the first time this season, every Lasallian is anticipating an intense clash between two of the most exciting teams in the league. Fans and spectators will forward to the changes and adjustments that have been made to hopefully transform this La Salle team and bring back their winning ways. Expect that this time, the Green Archers will not let another triumph get away and that they will aim carefully at that bullseye for the win.
