The DLSU Green Archers cruised to a commanding win over the NU Bulldogs, 85-61, earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena in their first game of the second round of eliminations. The victory improves La Salle’s win-loss card to 4-4, while keeping NU’s record at 1-7.
Justine Baltazar led the charge for the Green-and-White with a game-high 25 points and a career-high of 25 rebounds. Team captain Andrei Caracut and Jamie Malonzo also hit double-digits, recording 16 and 12 points, respectively.
Top performer Baltazar expressed after the game, “Nagpapasalamat ako kay God kasi maganda yung laro. Bumawi ako sa laro ko kasi pangit yung laro ko sa UST. Sabi ni coach bumawi ako ngayon, kaya naging maganda laro ko.”
(I want to thank God for my performance today. I made up for my poor performance in the UST game. Coach told me to bounce back, [and] that’s why I played well today.)
La Salle head coach Gian Nazario similarly acknowledged Baltazar’s efforts, “Yun yung resulta ng ginagawa ni [Baltazar] sa [practice]—he works really hard…and it [showed] in the game.”
(That was the result of [Baltazar’s hard work in practice].)
For the Bulldogs, the Ildefonso brothers led their squad as Dave Ildefonso recorded 11 points, while Shaun Ildefonso scored 10. Issa Gaye proved his strength defensively, recording a team-high of eight rebounds.
Setting up the lead
The Bulldogs came into the first quarter strong with D. Ildefonso taking an early three-point shot at the 9:54 mark. However, both teams then proceeded to miss their attempts and took turns forcing turnovers. The Green Archers finally found their rhythm as Caracut made two consecutive shots to open the scoring for his team at the 8:26 mark. The NU squad struggled to get past DLSU’s defense, resulting in an 11-2 run for the Green-and-White.
With 6:28 left in the quarter, Gaye was able to bring down DLSU’s lead with a shot in the paint off an Rj Minerva assist, 11-7. However, the Taft-based squad proved to be the stronger team as their stellar defense and quick transition plays kept the Bulldogs at bay with a 15-2 run throughout the rest of the period. Kurt Lojera closed the scoring with a three-point shot off an assist from Jordan Bartlett to end the first quarter with a convincing lead, 26-9.
The Bulldogs began to show more signs of life as they were able to level with the Green Archers, exchanging good shots at the basket. At the 6:25 mark, Bulldog Patrick Yu converted a three-point shot to bring down the deficit to 13 points, 30-17. The Green Archers then proceeded to energetically widen their lead, as Baltazar sparked an 8-0 run with a layup at the 6:02 mark.
NU was finally able to halt DLSU’s charge when Bulldog Minerva converted a layup and John Galinato split his free throws with 3:47 left in the period. Serrano answered back with a shot off a Baltazar assist to stretch the lead to 20 points, 40-20. Galinato took charge for the Bulldogs, exchanging baskets with the DLSU squad in the remaining minutes and restricting La Salle from another run. Galinato closed the scoring in the second quarter after going two-for-two at the charity line, bringing the scoreline to 44-22 at the end of the first half.
Commanding finish
Both teams started the third quarter slowly until D. Ildefonso opened the scoring for the Bulldogs at the 8:51 mark. Caracut hit back for the Green-and-White as he converted a three-point shot off an Aljun Melecio steal. In the next play, Baltazar scored off a Caracut assist. The Green Archers continued to dominate the match; however, their offense started to slow down.
As the teams continued to trade baskets throughout the quarter, Melecio’s first points came in a timely fashion, as he opened his scoring account with 7:07 left in the third frame with a shot from beyond the arc. The Green-and-White continued to build the lead, 52-28, early in the third quarter. The Blue-and-Gold, however, refused to give up. In the next sequence, Gaye made his layup as he was fouled by Baltazar. He went on to hit his free throw to help his team inch back into the game. A shot from three-point territory by Gallego finally cut into the 20-point deficit for NU, but they still trailed by 17 to the Green Archers as the quarter ended, 65-48.
NU started the final period with a 4-0 run, injecting some doubt about the security of the lead that La Salle had built over the game. The Green Archers struggled offensively early in the quarter, but Melecio provided the spark his team needed after he hit a step-back three-pointer to halt the charging Bulldogs.
After Malonzo exited the game with the referee charging him for an offensive foul, D. Ildefonso went the other way to convert a tough layup to trim the Taft-based squad’s lead to 14 points, 68-54.
But it was La Salle’s Lojera who put the game beyond doubt for his squad. He drove the ball full-court and converted an and-one, then hit a shot from beyond the arc on consecutive plays to reclaim a commanding 20-point lead, 74-54, with 4:55 left on the clock. Baskets from Baltazar, Caracut, and Bates ended the game with DLSU beating NU by a whopping 24 points, 85-61. The blowout marked the biggest win of the season for the Green-and-White.
“It’s something we addressed,” Nazario explained, referring to La Salle’s preparations and execution on the court to counter NU’s “dribble penetration” playstyle.
Looking ahead, active consultant Jermaine Byrd added, “It’s a great win for our team—we’re approaching the second round as if every game is a playoff game. Today was the first one. I’m proud of our team and our coaching staff—and we need to get ready for Sunday.”
The DLSU Green Archers are determined to maintain their win streak as they face their archrivals, the ADMU Blue Eagles, on Sunday, October 13, 12 pm, at the same venue.
The scores
DLSU 85 – Baltazar 25, Caracut 16, Malonzo 12, Lojera 9, Serrano 8, Melecio 6, Bates 4, Manuel 4, Hill 1
NU 61 – D. Ildefonso 11, S. Ildefonso 10, Diputado 8, Gallego 7, Clemente 5, Galinato 5, Gaye 5, Tibayan 3, Yu 3, Mangayao 2, Minerva 2
Quarter scores
26-9, 44-24, 65-48, 85-61
