Only three games have passed and the pressure is already on the DLSU Green Archers to turn their season around. After three rigorous matches, the Taft-based squad is holding on to a 1-2 win-loss record, courtesy of a two-game losing streak after falling to UP and FEU.
Their next game against the Adamson Soaring Falcons may prove to be the right matchup for them as they try to get back into their winning form since the Falcons are also going through a slump themselves, currently sporting a winless record in three games.
In their last game against the FEU Tamaraws, the Green Archers gave up a 20-0 run that was too much to overcome as they lost by double figures for the first time this season, 93-75. Jeron Teng may have had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, but he also had six turnovers, bringing his season total to 11. Andrei Caracut had 13 points while Julian Sargent had a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 32 points they gave up in the third quarter.
Mike Tolomia led FEU with 20 points and five assists, while Mac Belo overcame an early shooting slump to finish with 17 points and was the orchestrator of the pivotal run for the Tamaraws.
Adamson, on the other hand, was blown out by the Ateneo Blue Eagles last Saturday, 84-60. Papi Sarr led the Falcons with 13 points and 14 rebounds while Joseph Nalos added 10 points and seven assists, but their 24 turnovers as a team led to 36 points off errors. Kiefer Ravena led Ateneo with 24 points, while Von Pessumal and Aaron Black added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Aside from lacking a traditional big man with Norbert Torres graduating and Arnold van Opstal opting to end his collegiate career to recover from injuries, it is visible that the Green Archers’ overall performance is in complete disarray early in the season.
Confusion still haunts the Archers’ offense as they struggled to post an above-40 percent field-goal percentage three games into the season. Their turnovers are proving to be costly as well as they totaled 37 errors in their first two games alone. Moreover, their teamwork might still be a little rusty as they continue to adapt to their young lineup, evidenced by their average of a mere 8.6 assists per game as a team.
Although La Salle’s rebounding numbers are impressive, it is interesting to note that the Green Archers actually lost both games wherein they outrebounded their opponents, with the UP and FEU games serving as a testament to that. Lastly, La Salle’s defense during the games they’ve lost have not been that effective as they allowed UP and FEU to post 41 and 48 percent field-goal percentages, respectively.
As DLSU tries to get into the groove of things, it is important to mention that there are a lot of Green Archers who have been stepping up in the past games. For instance, rookie guard Andrei Caracut is already making strides towards a possible rookie of the year season, as he is currently La Salle’s second offensive option with 12 points per game.
Veterans Prince Rivero and Julian Sargent are also becoming valuable options for the team. Rivero is currently scoring 11 points a game on an outstanding 59 percent field goal percentage. Sargent, on the other hand, is racking up eight points a game, while making 41 percent of his field goals.
Individually, the Green Archers look impressive, but individual plays alone don’t win championships. In their game against Adamson tomorrow, at 2 pm in the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, the DLSU Green Archers hope to win this game as one cohesive unit.
