The DLSU Lady Archers started the second round of #UAAPSeason86 on a high note after successfully completing a comeback win against the AdU Lady Falcons, 71-61, earlier today, October 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Following this triumph, the Green and White now hold a 3-5 record.
Rookie Tricia Mendoza had a breakout game for La Salle as she stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points and 13 rebounds with two steals and two blocks. Luisa San Juan, Bernice Paraiso, and Sario Lee each contributed double-digit points to the win with 11, 10, and 10 points, respectively.
For Adamson, Victoria Adeshina tallied a double-double with 11 markers and 10 boards, while Cheska Apag chipped in 10 points to go along with seven assists and three steals in the loss.
Fighting spirit
After spending the first two minutes scoreless, both teams recovered from their slow start, getting hot from the field, with Adamson striking first courtesy of a long mid-range jumper from Anna Dampios. La Salle quickly struck back with their first bucket as Aji Bojang bullied her way inside for a strong hook shot. Both teams continued to exchange baskets for the next few possessions, but two consecutive buckets from Angela Alaba and Cheska Apag kickstarted a lengthy 12-1 run from Adamson, which saw them go up 17-5 with three minutes left. Looking to stop the bleeding, Arabel Bacierto was able to give La Salle the much needed spark off the bench with a bucket to cut the lead back to single digits and end the first quarter with 17-9.
Unlike the first, both teams opened the second quarter fast, with Ann Mendoza scoring four straight points off of two free throws and a layup for La Salle, while Victoria Adeshina put her team on the scoring column for the second. Mendoza and Adeshina continued to battle down low, both doing great jobs in anchoring their team’s defenses, resulting in a slower paced game midway throughout the quarter. As both women were subbed out, the pace immediately picked up with La Salle hitting back-to-back long range jumpers by Sario and San Juan, while Adamson answered with back-to-back layups from Apag and Etang. Off the timeout, the Lady Falcons increased their lead back to double digits, 30-19, after a catch and shoot three pointer from Limbago converts. Undeterred, the Lady Archers continued to claw their way back, going on a 7-2 run led by Mendoza, who tallied eight points for the quarter, ending the half at 32-26.
Coming back
Shaking off a poor-shooting first half wherein they only converted 28.1 percent of their field goal attempts, the Lady Archers managed to open the third quarter on fire. The UAAP Season 85 runner-ups unleashed a 7-0 run to take the lead within the first two minutes of the half, 33-32, with a Sario three ball to cap it off.
La Salle closed out on opposing shooters better in the second half and limited Adamson’s ability to run on the open floor, seeing them take a 44-36 lead with four minutes left to play in the frame. AdU managed to go on a rally to end the quarter, but it was DLSU that managed to enter the final period with the lead, 51-47, and a 25-15 scoring difference in the third frame.
The action that ensued in the fourth quarter saw Adamson turn the ball game into a one possession affair, 57-54, after Limbago split her free throws. Knockdown shooter San Juan managed to find space to fend off the Soaring Falcons at 60-55 before the game entered a gritty display of tough defense from both sides to cancel each other out. Sario managed to finally put her team on the scoreboard once again after her shot rattled in, 62-55, with just 2:13 to play. After Paraiso’s bucket, La Salle managed to achieve their biggest lead of the game at 11 points, 66-55. Not looking to lose another game to the Green and White, AdU attempted to play the foul game, but it was too little too late as DLSU took the victory, 71-61—allowing them to notch back-to-back wins for the first time in UAAP Season 86.
Following this successful comeback, the DLSU Lady Archers will hope to keep their momentum going as they take on the UST Growling Tigresses, who handed them an embarrassing blowout in their previous match in Round One. The two teams meet at 9 am on Sunday, October 29, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 71 – Mendoza 17, San Juan 11, Paraiso 10, Sario 10, Dalisay 8, Binaohan 7, Delos Reyes 3, Bojang 2, Bacierto 2, Dela Paz 1, Sunga 0
AdU 61 – Adeshina 11, Apag 10, Etang 8, Limbago 8, Dampios 7, Bajo 5, Padilla 4, Meniano 4, Alaba 2, Dumedold 2, Agojo 0, Tano 0
Quarter Scores: 17-9, 32-26, 51-47, 71-61
