Second round: Green Archers look to set right rhythm

After a subpar first round, the DLSU Green Archers find themselves currently outside of the final four picture with a 3-4 win-loss record. Although they are just a game behind second place, the team knows that they could have gotten a much better record after the first seven games.

In the first round, three out of the four losses of the Green Archers were close games that they could have easily won if not for late game collapses. Two of these defeats came from amazing comeback performances from FEU and UE as they came back from double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter to steal the game from the Green Archers.

Their previous encounter against the AdU Soaring Falcons cannot be forgotten as well. The first meeting between these two teams almost ended with the same story as the UE and FEU games, but the rare steady free throw shooting that the Green Archers showcased in that game bailed them out.

The story of the first round for La Salle was their inconsistency from the foul line, which cost them several lost games. They finished with the third worst percentage in the league, only making 61 percent of their shots from the charity stripe. However, they were able to end the first round by making 83 percent of their free throws in their last two games against AdU and NU. So far, it seems like the Green Archers have found the solution to their free throw woes and are trending upward, thanks to the tutelage of assistant coach Allan Caidic, known as one of the best shooters in the Philippines during his heyday.

Entering the second round, La Salle faces a similar foe in Adamson, a team who almost stole another victory from the Green Archers with a fourth quarter comeback that barely fell short. The Green Archers were able to seal an ugly victory after letting go of a 17-point lead with less than seven minutes left to play. The team was led by the frontcourt combination of Norbert Torres, Jason Perkins, Arnold van Opstal, and Jeron Teng, who scored a combined 48 points.

Frontcourt strength

It is obvious that the strength of La Salle comes from the inside, especially with the emergence of the six-foot-eight van Opstal, who has been on a tear after breaking out with 18 points and eight rebounds against Ateneo in the first round. Ever since that game, he was given a bump in his minutes off the bench and has been productive for head coach Juno Sauler. He finished the first round averaging 11 points and seven rebounds, good enough o pin him as the third leading scorer of the jam-packed DLSU squad.

Rookie Jason Perkins has also been terrific, leading the team in rebounds and averaging the fourth most points on the team. In addition, four out of the top six scorers of La Salle come from their frontcourt, namely Teng with 14.6 a game, van Opstal with 11, Perkins with 10.7, and Torres with seven.

In terms of rebounding, La Salle has been known for controlling the boards throughout the game, as seen in most of their games in the first round. In their third game of the season against Ateneo, the Green Archers had a 16-rebound advantage over the Blue Eagles on their way to their second victory of the season. Also, they had 16 offensive rebounds throughout the game compared to Ateneo’s five and it helped them rally from an early double digit deficit to take the game. Defensively, the Green Archers protect their rim with might, even with the absence of defensive specialist Yutien Andrada. La Salle ranks third in blocks with 3.4 per game.

Locked and loaded

Before the season began, the players had their eyes firmly planted on the UAAP championship. At first, their bid for gold in the Fil-Oil Flying V Pre-season Cup fell short after suffering a loss against San Beda in the quarterfinals which sent them packing. They then set their eyes on the biggest prize after their pre-season setback, the UAAP trophy. After their subpar first round performance though they are nowhere near their goal, but the fight is still not over for the Green Archers.

The Green Archers kick off the second round of UAAP basketball on Wednesday, August 14, at 2 pm in the SMART-Araneta Coliseum against the Soaring Falcons. With both teams tied at 3-4 in the standings, this looks to be a must-win for the Green Archers in order for them to keep their Final Four hopes alive.

After having a two-week hiatus, the Green Archers have been rejuvenated and the extra time-off has helped them get acclimated with Sauler. After having just three weeks before the UAAP to familiarize himself with the boys after being installed as head coach, the break has been a welcome development for the team and staff before the last seven games of the elimination round. The stakes are getting higher and higher with each game and the Green Archers will learn that there will be no easy wins in the second round.