After defeating the UST Growling Tigers in their last regular season game, the DLSU Green Archers sought a victory against the AdU Soaring Falcons for a spot in the Final Four of the UAAP Season 85 Men’s Basketball Tournament. However, it was not meant to be for the short-handed Green Archers, who concluded their season with a bitter loss, 80-76, earlier today, December 4, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The backcourt duo of Mark Nonoy and Evan Nelle showed up, posting 22 and 15 points, respectively, in La Salle’s noble effort. Meanwhile, big man Ben Phillips contributed 11 points while draining three shots from long range. Rookie center Raven Cortez contributed 10 points on a perfect four-of-four shooting clip while also anchoring the Green Archers defense with a game-high three blocks.
On the other hand, point guard Jerom Lastimosa scorched the DLSU defense with 22 points on four three-pointers made and six assists. Joshua Yerro, Adrian Manlapaz, and Lendra Douanga each supplied double digit points for the Soaring Falcons, while Cedrick Manzano’s 12 rebounds led all players in that department.
Blazing hot start
The DLSU Green Archers began the game with a suffocating defense, but took some time to get its offense going. This resulted in both teams getting off to a stagnant start the first minute and a half of the game. B. Phillips sank a three-pointer, opening the floodgates for the Green Archers. The Taft-based squad ignited a 13-5 run after a spark from explosive guard Mark Nonoy. The run forced Adamson to take a timeout with 5:51 remaining in the first quarter in hopes of slowing down the Green Archers. However, the Green Archers continued to play well and the Soaring Falcons were not able to stop the bleeding after the huddle—forcing them to take another timeout with 4:40 left in the period after DLSU extended their lead, 19-8. On the other hand, after a scorching hot performance against the Ateneo Blue Eagles, Manlapaz picked up from where he left off and kept Adamson within reach as their lone bright spot—scoring eight points in the quarter. Despite a late rally in the period, the Green Archers finished the quarter strong with a seven point lead, 27-20.
Contrary to their explosive offense in the first quarter, the taft-based side struggled to get any offense going whenever star point guard, Nelle, was off the court. Adamson took full advantage of the DLSU struggles on both ends of the court, cutting the La Salle lead, 30-28, forcing DLSU head coach Derrick Pumaren to call a timeout with 6:41 left in the quarter. Although similar to Adamson in the first period, La Salle was forced to take two timeouts in quick succession as well. Being the team’s floor general, Nelle led his squad to create big plays on both ends of the court—resulting in a huge 11-2 run by the Green Archers. The first half was capped off by highlight three-pointers by Adamson’s Jerom Lastimosa and La Salle’s Nelle, widening the DLSU lead, 48-38. Along with vital performances by Nelle and Nonoy, big man Cortez also played a pivotal role in the team’s interior offense, interior defense, and rebounding in the first half of the do-or-die game. The big man ended the half with 10 points and racked up enough rejections to outblock the entire Adamson side, 3-2.
Nail-biting closer
The Green Archers continued their dominant play in the second half, with Nonoy and Nelle each draining a three pointer to keep their lead at double-digits, forcing Adamson to once again use a timeout. This time, the Soaring Falcons went on a tear after the timeout, going on a commanding 16-3 run which included a converted four point play by Lastimosa. DLSU fought hard to contain the blitzing offense of the Soaring Falcons, but in the end, they only managed to keep one point of their original 13 point lead, ending the quarter with a 60-59 advantage.
A grit-and-grind pace utilized by both squads opened the final quarter, resulting in a joint single-digit scoring output by the halfway mark of the quarter. Austria provided the bulk of the offense for the Green Archers, scoring five early points from the charity stripe. The heated matchup saw several lead changes within the final three minutes, with both teams making clutch plays. Austria continued providing timely buckets, sinking two tough layups, while B. Phillips and Sabandal exchanged three pointers. Douanga and Manzano’s field goals gave the Falcons a three-point lead with one minute left, forcing DLSU to play the free-throw game. However, they had no other choice but the worst possible Falcon to intentionally foul, as Lastimosa calmly buried the crucial free throws to ice the game. The Green Archers turned to Nelle from deep for one last chance to tie—but Adamson was aware of this plan, quickly trapping the veteran point guard, forcing an ugly miss and securing the victory, 80-76. With this remarkable win, the Soaring Falcons have secured the final slot of the Final Four and will face the top-seeded Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Meanwhile, the short-handed DLSU Green Archers crashed out of UAAP Season 85 as the fifth seed—missing out on Final Four for the first time since UAAP Season 82—despite a promising opening to their campaign.
The Scores:
DLSU 76 – Nelle 22, Nonoy 15, Austria 11, B. Philipps 11, Cortez 10, Abadam 3, Macalalag 2, Buensalida 2
AdU 80 – Lastimosa 22, Yerro 13, Manlapaz 11, Douanga 10, Manzano 8, Sabandal 8, Jaymalin 3, Flowers 2, Hanapi 1, Torres 1
Quarter Scores: 27-20, 48-38, 60-59, 76-80
