UAAP: Green Archers outclass UP to extend win streak to four

The DLSU Green Archers continue to build steam heading into the second round as they cruised past the UP Fighting Maroons, 74-53, to continue their hot streak after two defeats. Jeron Teng led the way for the Green Archers as he finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

The Green Archers put the game away early as they limited UP to nine points in the first quarter, eventually stretching their lead to 32 on their way to their fourth win in six games. Their win was one of their most balanced as everyone got to play, with nine Green Archers contributing to the score.

DLSU went straight to work in the first quarter.  In his first game back after sitting out against UE due to ankle problems, Norbert Torres opened the scoring with two unanswered field goals.  The Taft-based squad then intensified their defense, forcing UP to turnovers and heavily contested shots. After falling behind early, the Green Archers put the clamps down on the defensive end, as they allowed only nine UP points while scoring 26 to end the quarter up by 17 points.

It was the same story in the second quarter as DLSU continued to hold UP down, eventually giving up only eight field goals to the Fighting Maroons at halftime. The Green Archers dominated the boards as they continued to pound inside and at the same time limit their opponents to 24 points. Teng had 20 points and eight rebounds at the half, taking what the UP defense was giving him as he got to the basket and made eight out of his 13 shots at the half.

The second half saw the Green Archers continue to pull away as a balanced effort helped keep the Fighting Maroons at bay. DLSU continued to stretch their lead throughout the half, with their lead ballooning to as much as 32.

In the final quarter, the Fighting Maroons tried to come close as they forced La Salle into turnovers early in the quarter.  DLSU’s errors were costly as this produced transition plays from UP, allowing them to come as close as 20 points halfway through the period.  Almond Vosotros then caught fire, scoring 6 of his fifteen points as he drained two straight three pointers to put the game out of reach.

Vosotros was key in the win as well as he had 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists. More importantly, he made three out of his four three pointers, all of which came in the second half. Torres also had a big game, as he finished with six points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Abu Tratter, Prince Rivero, and Jason Perkins each had six points in the win as well

Meanwhile, Kyles Lao led UP with 13 points, two rebounds, and one steal. Dave Moralde and Henry Asilum had eight and seven points respectively while JR Gallarza had six points and eight rebounds.

The Green Archers outrebounded UP, 54-47, and had more assists, 16-5, but the Diliman-based squad had less turnovers as they had 14 in contrast to DLSU’s 21. La Salle made 28 field goals on 45 percent shooting from the field while limiting UP to 19 field goals on 23 percent shooting from the field. UP made it to the line more, yet barely made half of their free throws while DLSU missed eight of their 20 free throws, good enough for 70 percent.

Up next for the Green Archers is a rematch of last year’s finals, as they will face the UST Growling Tigers at 4 pm on Sunday, August 10, in the MOA Arena. This will be their last game in the first round as DLSU will be looking to finish the first half of the season with five straight wins.

The Scores:

DLSU 74 – Teng 25, Vosotros 15, Perkins 6, Torres 6, Rivero 6, Tratter 6, Montalbo 5, Sargent 3, Andrada 2, Bolick 0, Salem 0, Mustre 0

UP 53 – Lao 13, Moralde 8, Asilum 7, Gallarza 6, Reyes 6, Vito 6, Bederi 3, Harris 2, Amar 1, Gingerich 1, Juruena 0, Lim 0

Quarter scores: 26-9, 50-24, 64-40, 74-53