Streaking Green Archers battle UP, aim for seventh consecutive win

Fresh from their hard-fought win against the ADMU Blue Eagles, the DLSU Green Archers will face the UP Fighting Maroons for the second time this season, with the chance of tying Ateneo for the top spot in the standings.

Playing Injured

In the first round, the Green Archers defeated the Fighting Maroons with the score of 74-53. Despite injuries to Thomas Torres and Arnold van Opstal, DLSU Head Coach Juno Sauler went deep into his bench and relied on the solid performance of Jeron Teng, who finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, to put UP away early in the game. Almond Vosotros also stepped up for DLSU, as the former San Sebastian Staglet made three of his four three point attempts in the second half.

The Fighting Maroons struggled throughout the game, and only Kyles Lao managed to score in double digits, ending up with 13 points. Dave Moralde and Henry Asilum also pitched in eight and seven points respectively, yet it wasn’t enough for UP to notch the win.

The Green Archers outperformed UP in rebounds, 54-47, and assists, 16-5. The Fighting Maroons, however, had less turnovers than DLSU, 21-14. The Taft-based squad made 28 field goals while UP made 19. Out of 20 free throws, the Green Archers made a total of 12. On the other hand, the Fighting Maroons had more attempts in the free throws but only made  half.

A tale of two teams

Both teams were supposed to face each other to open the second round however, a technicality resulted in the Green Archers facing off against arch rival Ateneo, and UP squaring off with the UE Red Warriors.The Green Archers seemed to benefit more from the exchange as they were able to extend their winning streak to six in their rematch against Ateneo, while the Fighting Maroons suffered a defeat at the hands of the Red Warriors.

Even in the second round, the injury bug has yet to leave the Green Archers as van Opstal and Thomas Torres have not yet played since the first round. Look for Jason Perkins and Julian Sargent to build on their solid performances, with the former bouncing back from his slump with a solid 18 points, 10 rebounds, and the crucial jumper that put the game away. Sargent, whose defense made Kiefer Ravena work for every shot, will look to be the stopper against the likes of Lao and Asilum.

The Green Archers and the Fighting Maroons will meet on August 23, Saturday at 2 pm in the Mall of Asia Arena.