With the midway point of UAAP Season 78 just a week away, teams are scrambling to find not just their positions but their identities as well. For the DLSU Green Archers, last week’s dominant win over Adamson was a sign that talent and cohesion can get them over the hump. The UE Red Warriors, on the other hand, have overcome their height disadvantage thanks to their team defense and the emergence of Edison Batilier as a force to reckon with on the offensive end.
When the Green Archers and the Red Warriors square off at 2 pm this Sunday, September 27, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, both teams won’t be looking to simply take down the other; putting themselves in a good position near the halfway point of the season will be important as well.
Games of the past
In their victory over Adamson last Sunday, DLSU finally found their offensive rhythm to take an 88-71 victory to snap a two-game losing streak. Jeron Teng had an all-around effort of 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, while Thomas Torres scored a season-high 16 points to complement his three rebounds and five assists.
Despite leading for most of the first three quarters, the Red Warriors couldn’t close the FEU Tamaraws, falling to them in a 92-81 loss last week. Mac Belo scored 12 of his 24 points in the final quarter while helping limit UE to only 10 points. Batiller scored 18 in the game but missed all four of his field goal attempts in the last quarter.
![DLSU vs UE (recap) []](http://thelasallian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DLSU-vs-UE-recap--705x467.jpg)
La Salle and UE split both meetings last season with the Green Archers slipping past the Red Warriors in the first round, 60-58, despite committing 36 turnovers. Teng had a game-high 18 points and Norbert Torres added 14 points and 14 rebounds, but they both combined for eight turnovers. Almond Vosotros, who finished with 12 points, struggled in the game not just because he missed 11 of his 16 shot attempts but also because of his nine turnovers. Roi Sumang was the only UE player to finish in double figures as their offensive rhythm couldn’t match their defensive intensity, resulting in the tough setback.
The Red Warriors would have the upper hand in the second round, as they were able to take a 68-66 win by once again forcing DLSU to commit at least 30 turnovers. Sumang, who scored 14 points and had five steals in the win, had help this time as Bong Galanza poured in a team-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Teng had 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Vosotros and Julian Sargent added 11 and 10 points, respectively. However, all three of them combined for 14 turnovers, nearly half of the team’s total of 30.
Strength in numbers
With both teams entering the season with relatively small frontcourts, the Green Archers will look to capitalize on their depth over the Red Warriors, who only have Chris Javier as their legitimate big man due to the departures of Charles Mammie and Moustapha Arafat. Larry Muyang and Jason Perkins, both of whom combined for 21 of the Green Archers’ 48 rebounds in their last game against Adamson, will try to cover more ground with help from Abu Tratter, Prince Rivero, and rookies John Gob and Daryl Pascual, all of whom were able to see action last Sunday.
In four games, La Salle is currently averaging 45 rebounds a game, close to their Season 77 elimination round average of 44.9. The Green Archers, however, were outrebounded in their victories against NU and Adamson, registering 42 and 48 rebounds in both games. The Red Warriors had 45 rebounds in their loss to FEU, with four players registering five apiece.
Crucial for UE in this game will be to force DLSU into committing turnovers, as the Red Warriors are the number one team in forcing errors, letting their opponents commit almost 27 turnovers in their previous five games on average. The Red Warriors will also try to continue helping one another score as their 18.6 assists per game leads the league so far this season. Battilier, who is third in the league at scoring with 20 points per game, will spearhead the offense with the help of Javier, who currently averages 11.5 points.
When both teams take to the court on Sunday, expect them to capitalize on each other’s weaknesses just to take that extra win heading into Season 78’s crucial games. Though both teams are starting to figure out their respective identities, a win tomorrow will be incredibly important as it can dictate the rest of their season as well.
