Playing against a winless team didn’t mean that the DLSU Green Archers were in for a walk in the park, as they needed to rely on a strong defensive stand in the fourth quarter to overcome the UE Red Warriors, 84-78, earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Ben Mbala and Justine Baltazar combined for 33 points and 26 rebounds in what turned out to be a grind-out game for La Salle, who saw an 18-point lead in the first half get cut to single digits during the second half.
Alvin Pasaol and Bonbon Batiller led UE with 22 and 13 points, respectively, with the latter fouling out in the final quarter.
“During the crisis in the game, we stuck together as a team and stuck with the system,” Prince Rivero said after the game, referring to the moment when head coach Aldin Ayo was ejected for attempting to hand the referee a pair of glasses whilst contesting a non-call.
DLSU shakes off slow start
Both teams struggled with their offense in the early parts of the game as Pasaol scored the game’s first basket for UE with 6:57 left in the opening quarter. It was Mbala who kept DLSU ahead by a slim margin thanks to his trips to the free throw line. Kib Montalbo made DLSU’s first field goal at the 4:04 mark, giving the Green Archers a 7-3 lead over UE.
DLSU would find its rhythm once Jason Perkins entered the game for the first time this season with 3:32 left in the first quarter, going on a 10-0 run that was capped off by an Aljun Melecio three-pointer. UE would try to go on a run of their own after Baltazar checked in for Mbala, but the rookie from NU held his own in the middle, securing the Green Archers a 25-15 lead heading into the second quarter.
Teng, Baltazar, and Perkins continued to keep La Salle ahead, with the Xavier alumnus’ basket with 5:41 left before halftime giving the Green Archers their largest lead in the game, 35-17.
Things became tense with 1:12 left in the second quarter when DLSU head coach Aldin Ayo vehemently protested to a non-call. This resulted in Ayo getting ejected from the game with his team ahead by 12, 40-28.
When play resumed, a basket from Jeron Teng and free throws from Mbala and Montalbo handed the Green Archers a 44-30 lead at halftime.
Second half grind for DLSU
UE would begin the second half on a 7-0 run, with Pasaol’s three pointer cutting the DLSU lead to single digits, 44-37, with 7:33 left in the third quarter. Mbala and Teng would help La Salle restore their double-digit lead, with the former’s alley-oop play off a Thomas Torres pass giving La Salle a 51-41 lead with 5:25 left in the quarter. The Red Warriors’ physical play rattled DLSU, forcing the Green Archers to surrender a 12-4 run that cut the lead to four, 57-53, with 1:26 left in the third quarter.
Rivero, who entered the game for the first time with 2:04 in the third quarter, scored three quick points, while Baltazar scored before the third quarter ended to give DLSU a 62-55 lead entering the final period.
After a quick UE three-pointer, Rivero, Andrei Caracut, and Melecio sparked an 8-0 run that gave La Salle a 70-58 lead with 7:25 left in the game. Both teams would trade baskets until the midway point of the quarter, which was when the Red Warriors went on an 11-2 run that cut the lead to four, 78-74.
A Caracut three-pointer effectively sealed the match for DLSU with 1:01 left in the game. UE would score two quick baskets but free throws from Rivero and Montalbo gave La Salle its sixth win in as many games.
La Salle surrendered at least 30 turnovers to the Red Warriors for the sixth straight game dating back to Season 77. However, DLSU asserted itself on the boards, finishing with 67 rebounds as compared to UE’s 44.
Rivero and Caracut provided the energy off the bench, with the former scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 10 crucial minutes. Caracut played for only 11 minutes, but his timely baskets helped offset the struggles of Teng, who only had seven points in the win.
The game’s physicality was evident in the box score as both teams combined for 56 fouls, with DLSU heading to the free throw line 44 times. UE was more efficient in terms of converting their free throws, missing only three of their 20 attempts.
The Green Archers will close out the first round of Season 79 on Sunday, October 2, when they take on their archrivals, the ADMU Blue Eagles, at 4 pm in the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 84 – Mbala 19, Baltazar 14, P. Rivero 11, Montalbo 9, Caracut 9, Teng 7, Melecio 5, Torres 4, Go 4, Perkins 2, Tratter 0, Paraiso 0, R. Rivero 0
UE 78 – Pasaol 22, Batiller 13, Varilla 8, Derige 8, Manalang 7, Palma 7, De Leon 4, Bartolome 4, Penuela 4, Charcos 1, Gagate 0, Olayon 0, Abanto 0, Armenion 0, Acuno 0
Quarterscores: 25-15, 44-30, 62-55, 84-78
