After Day Three and Four of intense action in the half-court, the DLSU Green and Lady Archers found themselves in the playoffs to have a chance to clinch the gold medal this weekend, from May 4 to 5, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay Activity Center.
The Green Archers breezed past the elimination games, winning all their matches. They defeated the FEU Tamaraws, ADMU Blue Eagles, and AdU Soaring Falcons, 21-16, 21-9, and 21-7, respectively.
The Lady Archers lost two consecutive matches on Day Three against the AdU Lady Falcons, 19-17, and ADMU Blue Eagles, 17-14. They also slimly survived the UP Fighting Maroons on Day Four, 17-16.
Critical games
The DLSU Lady Archers suffered a heartbreaker against the AdU Lady Falcons, losing the game by two points, 19-17. Despite the setback, Ann Mendoza had an outstanding game with seven points and six rebounds while shooting the ball on a 60-percent clip, and Lee Sario had a bounce-back game with six points and four boards.
Against their rival, Ateneo, La Salle fell short once again, ending Day Three of the competition on back-to-back losses, 17-14. With that drubbing, the Green-and-White dropped to a 4-2 win-loss record and fought for their Final Four chances. Once again, Mendoza led the offensive scoring for DLSU with seven points and grabbed nine boards.
On the side of the Green Archers, who continued to show dominance, they won against the FEU Tamaraws, 21-16, in their first game of Day Three in the tournament. CJ Austria was hailed as the Most Valuable Player, as he converted 10 points, four rebounds, and had a decent shooting clip at 62.5-percent. Jonnel Policarpio had a similar stat line with nine points, four rebounds, and three steals to secure their fifth win in the tournament.
La Salle was too much for Ateneo to handle, as they toyed with their rivals during their showdown, 21-9, tallying their sixth consecutive win in the tournament. The Green-and-White had balanced scoring from the trio of Aaron Buensalida, Policarpio, and Austria with eight, seven, and six points, respectively. Buensalida played his best game of the competition, adding eight points, seven rebounds, an assist, and four stocks.
Headed to the Final Four
Both La Salle teams earned victories in their respective final Elimination Round games for Day Four. With these impactful wins, the Green and Lady Archers cemented their place in their respective Final Four games. The defending champion Men’s team completed a 7-0 sweep as they moved closer toward a successful run for back-to-back titles. On the other hand, their Women’s counterparts finished with a 4-3 record–just enough to earn them the last slot in the Final Four.
The Lady Archers survived a close game against the UP Fighting Maroons, 17-16, arguably their most crucial match in the tournament. It was a balanced attack by the DLSU Women’s team, with none of the four players scoring less than three points. Again, Mendoza dominated the paint with six points on 66.7-percent from the field and nine boards, while Sario added five markers of her own.
On the other hand, the Green Archers made light work of the AdU Falcons, dominating the Kalaw-based squad, 21-7. Earl Abadam was the leading scorer for La Salle, putting up eight points, including a pair of two-pointers. Policarpio and Austria complemented his performance by contributing five markers on a combined 62.5-percent clip.
With fruitful results in the Elimination Round, the Green and Lady Archers look toward the Final Four in hopes of taking home two golds for Taft. The Men’s team, holding a clean 7-0 record, is scheduled to play the athletic NU Bulldogs. Meanwhile, the 4-3 Women’s team will be facing a big challenge before they play for the title–the defending champions, the UST Golden Tigresses.
