The DLSU Lady Archers maintained their unbeaten run in the second round of UAAP 85 with a dominant victory, 86-67, over the UP Fighting Maroons earlier today, October 19, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Bettina Binaohan spearheaded La Salle’s attack with 21 points and eight rebounds. Bea Dalisay chipped in 15 points, including four shots from beyond the arc, and Lee Sario also added 15 of her own. Lastly, Fina Niantcho controlled the paint with a double-double of 12 markers and 13 boards.
In a losing effort, Christie Bariquit was aggressive inside en route to scoring 18 points to pace the Fighting Maroons while Kaye Pesquera chipped in 13 of her own.
Staying the course
Coming into the game as heavy favorites, the Lady Archers were immediately hit by a relentless Fighting Maroons offense that put them on the back foot. UP had continuous success in penetrating the paint with multiple layups and floaters, while La Salle held on with extra effort on the boards and in forcing turnovers. The Taft-based squad was also able to score in the paint through dribble drive plays that led to passes down low, exemplified by Charmaine Torres’ drive that led to an easy short jump shot from Jeehan Ahmed with 7:03 on the clock. However, UP slowly gained some breathing room after a three from Sanchez gave them a 20-14 advantage at the 3:21 mark. Sario answered back with a three but the team from Katipunan continued their barrage to finish the first frame with a 25-21 lead.
UP picked up where they left off in the first quarter, continuing to break down La Salle’s interior defense. The Fighting Maroons held a two-possession lead with 6:02 remaining in the second period. But this shifted as the Lady Archers came alive and went on a blistering 23-3 run until the end of the half. The burst was led by Binaohan, who scored 11 points in the run and showcased her array of jump shots and drives, and Niantcho whose strength and stature proved to be too much for UP to deal with inside. La Salle eventually held a commanding 51-35 advantage heading into halftime.
Answering every rally
UP looked to chip away at the deficit at the start of the third quarter with four quick points from Tapawan. La Salle struggled to contain UP’s offense but was able to answer back against all their adversaries’ baskets with their own. Bariquit carried the load for UP, scoring nine points in the period but the team from Katipunan was unable to handle the Lady Archer attack and was behind 68-55 at the conclusion of the third frame.
Hoping to cap off another dominant display over UP this season, the Fighting Maroons surprised the Lady Archers with a suffocating full-court press which forced multiple turnovers and easy baskets on the break. The Fighting Maroons pulled off a 8-0 blitz that cut the deficit to seven with 6:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. Coming out of the timeout, the Lady Archers responded with a barrage of three pointers, including three from Dalisay and one from de la Paz, that snuffed the hopes of a final UP comeback. La Salle capped the game off with a final shot from deep to earn their tenth victory by a score of 86-67.
After the comfortable win, the 10-2 DLSU Lady Archers will face their biggest challenge in sweeping the second round as they face the juggernaut NU Lady Bulldogs on October 23, Wednesday, at 11 am at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The Scores:
DLSU 86 – Binaohan 21, Dalisay 15, Sario 15, Niantcho 12, Torres 6, Ahmed 6, de la Paz 5, Jimenez 2, Arciga 2, Camba 2, Espinas 0, Castillo, Villava-Cua, San Juan 0
UP 67 – Bariquit 18, Pesquera 14, Domingo 9, Sanchez 9, Lozada 6, Tapawan 5, Rivera 2, Maw 2, Vingno 2, Gonzalez 2, Larrosa 0, Sauz 0, Lebico 0
Quarter Scores: 21-25, 55-31, 69-55, 86-67
