The DLSU Lady Archers regained their winning rhythm, snapping a three game losing skid by avenging their first round loss to the second place NU Lady Bulldogs with a 77-69 win.
The frontcourt tandem of Ara Abaca and Cass Santos starred for the Lady Archers’ cause anew as they won their first game in the second round of eliminations. The tandem dominated by patrolling the paint as both put up huge double-double performances. Abaca top scored with 28 points coupled with 16 rebounds, and Santos backed Abaca’s performance with 23 points and 12 rebounds of her own. The duo were efficient from the field as they both shot over 58 percent.
The Lady Archers set the tone early on as they accelerated early and it led to a comfortable 10-2 lead in the early minutes of the game. However, the experienced NU side put up a gritty fight to claw back and eventually they led by two at the start of the second quarter. The competitive flare of the game continued as the Lady Archers established their brick-like defense to snatch a two-point lead over their opponents going into the halftime break.
After listening to instructions from head coach Ty Bautista at the dugout, the Lady Archers set up their full court defense and it resulted to the Lady Bulldogs committing consecutive turnovers. Taking full advantage of the turnovers, the ladies from Taft converted 33 points off turnovers for the duration of the game.
Offensive dominance by the Lady Archers continued through the third period with Abaca fueling the team through consecutive baskets from turnovers, pestering the defense of the Lady Bulldogs. The Taft-based squad was successful in slowing down their opponent’s offense, outscoring NU by 18 during the third quarter.
Sensing urgency after they fell behind by 12 heading into the deciding quarter, the Lady Bulldogs deployed a full court defense as well in an attempt to swing the game in their favor. The veteran backcourt of the Lady Archers, however, was not intimidated as they successfully broke the press. As a result, the guards of La Salle gave the team a total of 12 fast break points during the match.
The Lady Archers no longer allowed NU to stay at bay and their lead stayed above seven throughout the final quarter, enough to close the game with a convincing 77-69 victory.
As the second round of eliminations for the UAAP 76 Women’s Basketball Tournament have reached midway, the battle for the Final 4 spot has never been more tough. With the Lady Archers and the Lady Bulldogs closely standing together at second and third place, the win by the Taft-based cagebelles kept them in striking distance for the coveted twice-to-beat advantage. The win improved their win-loss card to 6-3 for the season thus far with five games remaining.
With Bautista’s squad aiming for a finals rematch against the league-leading FEU Lady Tamaraws, this pivotal match-up was very crucial for their championship bid, along with the last few elimination games of La Salle.
Up next for the Lady Archers are their archrivals, the Ateneo Lady Eagles, whom they will battle on Wednesday, August 28, at 11 am in the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU: Abaca-28, Santos-23, Garcia-9, Ong-7, Ong-5, Piatos-4, Corcuera-1, Vergara-0, Scott-0, Ramos-0, Melendres-0
NU: Tongco-20, Abriam-17, Gapitan-13, Bernardino-9, Bonleon-7, Antiquera-3, Sison-0, Paig-0, Escoto-0
Quarter Scores: 16-10, 29-27,57-45, 77-69
