“They just shot better in all departments. It’s gonna be hard to win if the opponent shoots better in all aspects.”
With this statement, DLSU head coach Juno Sauler basically summed up the troubles of his Green Archers in the opening game of the UAAP Men’s Basketball best-of-three finals. Coming into the game, La Salle had won their previous nine games and their streak was the longest recorded by any team for the UAAP season. UST however was coming off a two game upset of the top ranked NU Bulldogs, the first time in league history that a fourth seed toppled a first seed armed with a twice-to-best edge.
As the opening tip came, the historic SMART-Araneta Coliseum was jam packed with fans in either gold or green, but after Almond Vosotros scored the first two points for La Salle, UST turned it into a one sided affair courtesy of third year forward Kevin Ferrer.
“We’re okay with Jeric Teng it’s Ferrer who killed us. Jeric shot 36 percent from the two point area and that’s something I can live with. The 62 percent from three of Ferrer is what killed us,” shared Sauler after the game.
UST went on an 18-0 run and kept DLSU scoreless for over five and a half minutes in the first quarter to take an 18-2 lead late in the opening period. Ferrer made two three pointers and finished a three point play during the Growling Tigers’ blistering attack. He then drilled another three later in the quarter to give them a 17 point lead at 21-4, their biggest of the game. Ferrer would finish the game with 20 points and five made three pointers to lead UST.
Sauler commented on the first quarter, saying, “We couldn’t get ourselves going because Arnold [van Opstal] was called for two fouls and Jason [Perkins] was called for two fouls and they had to go to the bench. At the end of the first we were down ten even if they led by as much as 17.”
Furious rally
Despite the hot start of UST, DLSU managed to tie the game at 25 in the second period, going on a 21-4 run of their own. The Green Archers played calmly and within their system despite the raucous crowd of UST as they were reassured by Sauler.
The rookie head coach shares that he told his players, “I’ve been telling them not to mind the score even when we were down by 17. Our main focus was to make sure that in every possession we play our best. That’s why we were able to chip down their lead.”
La Salle was in good position to take the game, even leading by four points entering the fourth period, but the law of averages dictated that it was time for UST to go on a run once again. After a back-and-forth exchange that saw three lead changes and a tie to open the final quarter, UST pulled away and even led by as much as five points with less than two minutes left to play and four points with 34 seconds left in the contest.
Jeron Teng powered his way through the defense for a lay-up and completed a three point play with yet another clutch free throw to pull the Green Archers within one. A steal on the other end gave DLSU a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but a missed three from Vosotros and a blocked layup on a second chance attempt by LA Revilla signaled the end of the first game of the finals. UST went on to win the game by a point, 73-72, but it was a valiant effort from La Salle.
“It’s not really their championship experience. They’ve been playing really well in their past four games and we just have to do better in the next game,” added Sauler. “We got a good shot, Almond [Vosotros] was wide open and he had a good look. That’s the ball game. If you make it, you make it and if you miss it, you miss. Breaks of the game also in the last possession.”
Do-or-die
Despite the loss, history is on the side of the Green Archers. The last four times DLSU and UST met in the finals, the loser of the first game has gone on to win the championship three times, with the most recent coming in La Salle’s championship run during the 1999 season.
Not one to rely on history and luck though, Sauler had already began thinking of adjustments a few minutes after the game. “Well just have to take away those shots of Ferrer from three and offensively get good shots to improve our percentage,” he shares. “They been starting very well so we have to make sure they don’t do that in the next game. [We have to] make sure we get to challenge every shot.”
Sauler concludes saying, “Same mindset [for the next game], keep improving and do better compared to how we played today. Even the micro part of it, possession by possession we have to keep improving on every one that we have.”
