UAAP: Lady Archers rally past Adamson, book second win

The DLSU Lady Archers survived the gritty AdU Lady Falcons, 50-42, to get their second straight victory of the UAAP season at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. With the win, the Lady Archers continue their streaking start in the tournament as they move to an unscathed 2-0 win-loss slate, despite veteran center Ara Abaca being sidelined since the start of the season.

Ana Castillo and Camille Claro led a balanced scoring attack for the Green-and-White with eight points apiece. Only seven other players scored for the squad in what turned out to be a low scoring ball game.

Meanwhile, Zhalyn Mateo registered a game-high performance for the Lady Falcons with a a double-double output of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jingky Balasta also added another 11 points to aid in Adamson’s cause.

Both teams struggled to score during the first period, with neither team breaking the double-digit barrier. Mateo had four of Adamson’s eight points in the quarter, while the Lady Archers were limited to just five points in the first 10 minutes.

The Taft-based cagebelles bounced back in the second period, though, unleashing a 12-0 run to take the lead from the Lady Falcons. Castillo sparked the run with two 3-point shots while Fretzie Oyao added four points.

The second half started with both squads answering each other’s points. Lady Archer Camille Claro lit up the scoreboard with six markers during the third quarter, while Adamson guard Josephine Ong responded with four points for the Lady Falcons. The Taft-based Squad started to pull away late, ending the third period with a score of 34-26.

The game went into overdrive during the final quarter with both teams running the floor early. The momentum started to shift towards Adamson’s way as the run-and-gun offense proved to be an advantage for the Lady Falcons. DLSU finally changed their tempo, pulling away from the Lady Falcons late in the game. Lady Archer Nicole Garcia spearheaded the attack in the fourth quarter by scoring five points. With the delight of the Green-and-White, the buzzer finally sounded in favor of the Lady Archers, 50-42

Next in line for the Lady Archers are the gritty UP Lady Maroons whom they will face this Thursday, July 24 at 1 pm in the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Scores:
DLSU 50: Castillo 8, Claro 8, Piatos 7, Garcia 6, Oyao 6, A. Ong 5, Scott 4, Roxas 3, Vergara,3, Corcuera,0, Lumba 0, Melendres 0, M. Ong 0, Pineda 0

AdU 42: Balasta 11, Mateo 11, Avila 7, Ong 4, Balaso 3, Amper 2, De Castro 2, Ido 0, Durena 0, Osano 0, Tactao 0

Quarter Scores: 8-5, 19-16, 34-26, 50-42