The DLSU Green and Lady Archers step foot on the court once again for the UAAP Season 86 3×3 Tournament from May 2 to 5 in the Ayala Malls Manila Bay Activity Center.
The Green Archers swept their first four games in their campaign against the NU Bulldogs, UE Red Warriors, UST Growling Tigers, and UP Fighting Maroons, 19-17, 21-15, 20-16, W-0, respectively, in two days of competition.
Meanwhile, the Lady Archers won their first three matches against the UE Lady Warriors, NU Lady Bulldogs, and FEU Lady Tamaraws, 19-11, 16-15, and 18-16, respectively, before bowing down to the defending UST Golden Tigresses, 20-14.
Unblemished start
In commanding fashion, the DLSU Lady Archers asserted their dominance over the UE Lady Warriors in their opening match on May 2 to kickstart their campaign with a resounding eight-point victory, 19-11. Ann Mendoza emerged as the standout performer for the Green-and-White, delivering a stellar performance with eight points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and a block. Lee Sario complemented Mendoza’s effort with eight points, four rebounds, and two assists.
In their final matchup of the opening day, the Lady Archers secured a wire-to-wire victory against the NU Lady Bulldogs, edging out their opponents by a narrow one-point margin, 16-15. Luisa San Juan showcased her scoring prowess, leading the team with seven points and adding two rebounds to her tally, while Mendoza made her presence known again with five points, 10 rebounds, and two assists.
The defending DLSU Green Archers displayed their championship pedigree by clinching victories in both contests. In a hard-fought battle against the resilient NU Bulldogs, the Green-and-White emerged victorious in overtime, 19-17. CJ Austria, maintaining his stellar form from last season’s Finals MVP performance, delivered a dominant showing with 11 points, shooting an impressive 77.8-percent from the field while chipping in five rebounds and two steals. Jonnel Policarpio provided crucial support for the team, tallying six points, seven rebounds, and two steals in the opening encounter.
The Green Archers continued their winning streak by defeating the UE Red Warriors to conclude the first day of their 3×3 campaign, securing a convincing 21-15 victory. Once again, Austria led the scoring charge with nine points, shooting an impressive 85.7-percent from the field, while Policarpio contributed six points and three rebounds. Veteran Joshua David showcased his prowess on the boards, hauling in an impressive 12 rebounds across the two-game sweep on Day One.
Mixed results
On the second day of the tournament, the DLSU Lady Archers secured a hard-fought victory against the FEU Lady Tamaraws, edging them out by a narrow margin of two markers, 18-16. Sario showcased her skills on both ends of the court, delivering a standout performance with seven points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Mendoza and Bettina Binaohan made valuable contributions by controlling the boards with seven and eight rebounds, respectively, while chipping in with six and five points, respectively.
However, defending champions UST Golden Tigresses proved to be a formidable opponent for the DLSU Lady Archers, as they suffered their first defeat of the season, 20-14. Sario struggled to find her rhythm on the offense, only punching in six points on a disappointing shooting percentage of 28.6-percent. Mendoza’s attempt to give her team a chance to bounce back the rebounding battle with eight boards and four points, but it eventually was too late in the loss.
Austria showcased his scoring prowess once again, leading the DLSU Green Archers to victory against the UST Growling Tigers with a stellar performance, 20-16. He poured in 11 points on an impressive shooting at 77.8-percent, while also contributing two rebounds to his team’s cause. Aiding the Green Archers was Policarpio who provided valuable support with five points and six rebounds.
However, on the alleged highlight matchup of Day Two, the UP Fighting Maroons were forced to forfeit their remaining games due to the lack of manpower, resulting in the Green Archers claiming the top spot in the team standings with a flawless 4-0 record. The men from Katipunan have also announced their forfeiture from the rest of the tournament. According to official FIBA 3×3 rules, the Green Archers will be credited with 21 points on the surrendered match.
After two days of intense showdowns on the half-court, defending DLSU Green Archers maintain their clean record with an impressive 4-0 win-loss tally and will go up against the FEU Tamaraws and ADMU Blue Eagles tomorrow, May 4, at the same venue.
The Lady Archers are determined to bounce back and enhance their team standings following the setback from the Golden Tigresses and compete against the AdU Lady Falcons and ADMU Blue Eagles also tomorrow, May 4, at the same venue.
