The DLSU Lady Archers return to the finals after failing to do so in the two previous seasons. The Green-and-White defeated the UE Lady Warriors, 72-50. Leading the way for La Salle was Khate Castillo, who finished with 23 points and six rebounds, while Love St. Domingo scored 22 points in the losing effort for UE. Camille Claro contributed 13 points and eight assists while both Bennette Revillosa and Chay Vergara added 10 points and eight rebounds each. Snow Penaranda finished with 13 rebounds, a game-high, while also scoring 9 points.
Setting the pace
The first quarter started with a frenetic pace as both teams came out running with a lot of energy, but three minutes into the game, the Lady Warriors raced to an early 7-4 lead. By the end of the half, the lead had already changed six times, majority of which came from the first quarter as both teams were scoring at will. Castillo knocked down a three-pointer with 5:32 remaining in the opening quarter to tie the game at 9-all. However, UE’s Sto. Domingo and Bienca Ramos scored the team’s last seven points to take a 16-15 lead after the first 10 minutes of play. Both teams appeared to play intense defense as they only yielded two free throw attempts, collectively.
The Lady Archers began to pull away in the second quarter, however, as they started to employ coach Cholo Villanueva’s full court press. Due to La Salle’s suffocating defense, UE failed to get decent shot attempts. After allowing the UE Lady Warriors to make their first and last field goal of the quarter in the 8:38 mark, the Lady Archers, led by Vergara and Claro, answered back with a massive 15-0 run to grab a 30-18 lead going into half time.
En route to the Finals
The Lady Archers continued to assert their dominance offensively and defensively in the second half. Showcasing their defensive prowess, they only allowed UE to make 12 perimeter points while scoring 32 as a team. La Salle showcased its elimination-round form in terms of three-point shooting as its ball movement allowed shooters to get good looks. “My team wants to move the ball around,” Villanueva explained after the game. “We’re not capable of making our own shots. We had 15 assists today, so it’s big that we move the ball. It means that we’re sharing the basketball better and making our open shots.”
Although UE was more aggressive on the offensive boards, the Lady Archers made up for it by denying them their fair share of second chance points. As a team also known for their pace on the fastbreak, the Lady Archers did not fail to convert their steals into points, scoring more fast break points than UE, 13-4.
Overall, the game was a tight affair with both teams recording almost the same number of rebounds and turnovers. However, La Salle’s small advantage in the little aspects, such as assists, steals, and defense, proved to be vital en route to booking a ticket to the finals. DLSU’s bench outscored its UE counterparts, 27-3, with 20 of those points coming from Vergara and Revillosa. “We just pressured harder, [the Lady Archers] were more patient on containing the offense, they were more aggressive in playing the passing lanes,” Villanueva mentions.
After being continually upset in the semifinals for two consecutive years, the Lady Archers are happy to be back in the finals for the first time since 2013, when they won the championship. However, they will go back to the drawing board to prepare for the more experienced NU Lady Bulldogs.
As of press time, the Lady Archers will face NU on Saturday, December 3, at 12 noon, at the Mall of Arena for game one of the best-of-three finals series.
