The DLSU Green Archers routed the SSCR Golden Stags, 75-47, maintaining their spotless record in the FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup earlier tonight, August 14, at the FilOil EcoOil Center.
Ice Blanco had a breakout performance as he led the Green Archers in victory with 16 points, aided by Penny Estacio who chipped in 10, and Nathan Montecillo who recorded nine points.
Liam Concha paced the Golden Stags in a lopsided affair with 19 points, while Milo Janao posted 16 markers with two rebounds and two assists.
Lopsided opening
Coming off another game earlier today in the 2022 PBA D-league Aspirants Cup, the Green Archers looked rusty, missing their shots in the first few possessions of the game. Michael Phillips ended the scoring drought with a midrange jump shot, 2-0, at the 8:05 mark. Schonny Winston then extended the lead with a three-pointer, 5-0. As the Golden Stags struggled offensively, it was only at the 5:39 mark when Mio Janao scored the first two points for SSCR, 7-2. DLSU head coach Derrick Pumaren then subbed in Estacio and Blanco to switch up the rotation at the 4:39 mark of the first quarter. And the two young guards did not waste time in making an impact, draining back-to-back midrange jumpers, 15-2. But the Golden Stags continued to miss their shots while CJ Austria gave the Green and White a 15-point advantage with a layup, 17-2. With the Golden Stags looking lost on both ends, Liam Concha answered with a turnaround jump shot, 17-4. The Green Archers continued to capitalize on turnovers, with Bright Nwankwo making a freethrow to end the opening frame.
Off the break, Estacio went on a scoring barrage, converting back-to-back three-pointers to build DLSU’s early lead, 28-10, at the 8:07 mark of the second period. Arvin Pangaliwan then answered back for SSCR with a three-pointer, 28-13. But Emman Galman went on to continue their streak with another three-pointer at the 6:55 mark followed by Aaron Buensalida’s layup, 33-16. Pumaren then called a timeout after sending San Sebastian to the charity stripe multiple times. Raven Cortez widened the gap to 18 points with a midrange jumpshot, 35-17, benefitting DLSU. Montecillo then made his presence known in the paint following a putback, 37-19, at the 3:05 mark. SSCR head coach Edgar Macaraya called a timeout in the last 37 seconds of the first half. After a missed three-pointer from Reggz Gabat, DLSU failed to score at the last second as Galman turned the ball over to end the first half.
Impenetrable defense
La Salle started the third quarter with the same defensive intensity as in the first two quarters, forcing San Sebastian to miss contested shots all around the floor. Estacio opened the scoring with a two-point jumpshot, 39-19, at the 8:33 mark. Anchoring the paint all night long, Nwankwo utilized his inside presence by grabbing rebounds and defending the paint, highlighted by an emphatic block on Golden Stag Concha. Rookie Blanco started to make a mark in the game, converting a slick hop step to the basket, followed by a three-pointer to extend DLSU’s lead, 47-21, at the 6:01 mark. San Sebastian continued to chuck up missed shots, partly due to La Salle’s pesky full-court defense.
After Francis Escandor earning shots at the stripe and Ben Phillips securing offensive rebounds, DLSU went scoreless for two minutes. SSCR took advantage of this drought, draining two three-pointers, capped by M.Janao’s jumper at the 4:18 mark. La Salle then subbed in Raven Cortez and Buensalida to man the paint. This tactical decision worked like a charm as both succeeded in bothering San Sebastian’s efforts to score inside. As Cortez refused to limit his game on the defensive end, he muscled his way under the basket for an easy two-point basket off an inbound pass at the 1:02 mark. At this point, the Golden Stags were nowhere to be found on the offensive end, allowing the Green Archers to end the third period with a 25-point lead courtesy of two freethrows by Blanco, 55-29.
Pure domination
The final quarter began with both teams struggling to score within the first two minutes. But Blanco took matters into his own hands and made a trey at the 7:38 mark. Golden Stag Concha immediately answered with a three-pointer of his own, but La Salle still held an enormous 58-29 advantage. Incoming sophomore Galman also joined the three-point tally by swishing his own at the 6:32 mark—continuing the Green and White’s unstoppable outside shooting. The Recoletos-based squad tried to muster points on the board through three freethrows and a trey with 4:09 to go in the game. However, the Taft-based team proved to be too dominant in the end as Blanco furthered his stellar outing by earning shots at the stripe, followed by Nwankwo’s strong dunk. At this point, La Salle was leading, 65-38, at the 3:06 mark.
The final three minutes of the game were used as garbage time for both teams. Montecillo used this opportunity to shine late in the game, converting a quick layup and a three with two minutes left in the match. San Sebastian continued to match La Salle’s pace in the final minutes. However, the Green Archers ultimately demolished the Golden Stags, 75-47, after two late freethrows from Montecillo.
The DLSU Green Archers will look to stay spotless in their next outing against the JRU Heavy Bombers at 3 pm on Wednesday, August 18, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 75 — Blanco 16, Estacio 10, Montecillo 9, Nwankwo 8, Galman 6, M. Phillips 6, Austria 5, Buensalida 4, Cortez 4, Winston 3, Escandor 2, B. Phillips 2, Nelle 0
SSCR 47 — Concha 19, Janao 16, Paglinawan 5, R. A. Gabat 3, R. L. Gabat 2, Rodriguez 1, Suico 1, Radam 0, Barroga 0, Segodia 0, Garcia 0, Castor 0, Ventura 0, Cruz 0
Quarter Scores: 22-2, 37-19, 55-29, 75-47
