Coming off a tough loss against the UE Red Warriors, the DLSU Green Archers bounced back in dominant fashion as they thwarted the FEU Tamaraws, 87-70, to claim their third win of the season earlier today, October 15, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Schonny Winston spearheaded the offense once again for La Salle, tallying 23 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Rookie standout Kevin Quiambao had an all-around game with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Meanwhile, Evan Nelle made his presence felt in his return to action, chipping in eight points, a game-high 12 assists, and six steals.
In the valiant effort, LJ Gonzales filled up the stat sheet for the FEU Tamaraws with 16 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and five steals. Bryan Sajonia further added 15 points and five rebounds.
Dominant opening
The DLSU Green Archers opened the game with excellent reception, as Winston managed to score a jumper which was followed by a put back from B. Phillips—giving their side a comfortable lead early on, 7-4. They maintained their efficiency on both ends as the Taft-based squad went on a 12-0 run, while the FEU Tamaraws struggled to execute entirely. However, FEU guard Gonzales managed to stop the bleeding as he scored a three-pointer at the 1:34 mark, 16-7. With less than a minute remaining, Winston capped off the first quarter by making both of his shots from the charity stripe—securing an eight-point advantage for DLSU—18-10.
After building a lead in the opening quarter, the Green and White showed dominance as Estacio scored back-to-back points to extend the lead, 27-12, at the 7:01 mark. This was echoed by Winston who had his own fair share of consecutive baskets to help his side gain an 18-point lead, 37-19. In the attempt to close the gap, the Tamaraws immediately answered back as Sajonia converted a three-pointer, 44-25, with 1:37 remaining. However, the Green Archers recovered from a few mishandled passes as the Quiambao-Raven Cortez tandem—which was backed up by Joaqui Manuel’s free throws—ended the second quarter with big plays to give DLSU a 25-point lead, 50-25. La Salle gained a 10-0 advantage from turnovers which helped them build a huge lead heading into the halftime break.
Weathering the storm
Upon entering the second half, La Salle struck first with back-to-back baskets from CJ Austria. However, the Morayta-based squad refused to falter—cashing in a quick 6-1 run which included a heated exchange between Patrick Sleat and Austria that resulted in the game’s third unsportsmanlike foul that spelled the end of the latter’s outing. As the Tamaraws shifted a bit of momentum through a run, Winston was quick to stop the La Salle bleeding as he showcased his defensive prowess by stealing the ball on back-to-back possessions—resulting in a pair of fastbreak highlight plays. After subbing into the game late into the third period, Cortez also made sure to make his defensive presence known by racking up two of his six blocks in quick succession. The quarter was then rounded off by sharpshooter Joaqui Manuel hitting a flawless step-back three-pointer, extending the Archers’ lead to 22, 71-49.
The final quarter was not as straightforward as the Green Archers would have hoped though, as the Tamaraws rallied their efforts once again. This saw the Taft-based side’s lead dwindle to as low as 18. However, with six minutes remaining left in the game, the suffocating defense of La Salle picked back up which halted the FEU’s momentum altogether. To cap off a brilliant performance, Kevin Quiambao displayed his crafty skillset through a series of highlights—scoring at all three levels of the floor, including a jaw-dropping posterizer on FEU’s Aeron Bagunu’s with a minute left in the game. At the buzzer, the Archers were able to weather multiple storms and comeback attempts made by the Tamaraws, ending the game with a convincing 87-70 victory.
Coming off a disappointing loss last week, the Green Archers secured a much-need resounding victory to regain momentum and confidence within the squad, “[I’m] happy with the win today, the boys showed we can bounce back. As I’ve been telling them, that 0-4 record of FEU, they’re a better team than their 0-4,” said DLSU head coach Derrick Pumaren.
Following the win, the Green Archers look to sustain their rejuvenated momentum from today as they battle the NU Bulldogs on Wednesday, October 19, at 11 am at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 87 – Winston 23, Quiambao 16, Manuel 14, Nelle 8, Austria 7, Nwankwo 6, Estacio 5, Cortez 4, Abadam 2, B. Phillips 2
FEU 70 – Gonzales 16, Sajonia 15, Sleat 12, Torres 10, Bagunu 8, Tchuente 3, Tempra 2, Ona 2, Anonuevo 1, Celzo 1, Alforque 0, Sandagon 0
Quarter Scores: 18-10, 50-25, 74-49, 87-70
