Now holding a 2-0 record, the DLSU Green Archers established an early winning streak in UAAP Season 87 after outscoring the AdU Soaring Falcons with a huge 30-point margin, 82-52, earlier tonight, September 11, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Spearheading the Green-and-White was Player of the Game Kevin Quiambao, who erupted with 21 points, four assists, five rebounds, and two steals in their runaway win. Also helping the scoring department was Andrei Dungo, who listed 15 points, all coming from fearless threes, and Henry Agunnane, who posted a double-double performance of 11 points and 16 rebounds in their second game of the season.
Across the court was Cedrick Manzano, who unleashed 15 points and eight rebounds for the Soaring Falcons with the help of Matthew Montebon and Manu Anabo, who each registered seven points for their rebuilding team.
Picking up the pace
Slow action was seen in the court in the opening quarter of the bout. The first basket came two minutes into the game from one-and-done point-guard Lian Ramiro’s smooth floater, but it would be the last until the Green Archers’ timeout, 2-0. Later on, Adamson’s Mudiaga Ojarike tallied an explosive slam to catch up with the Green-and-White and make up for the sluggish opening, 6-4. Quiambao quickly answered with a graceful three-pointer and went for the ball in rebound to assist Agunanne on the other end of the court with an easy shot, 11-9.
With a little time left in the first quarter, the Taft-based squad found their rhythm and pulled away from the Soaring Falcons in style. Accurate back-to-back treys from Dungo propelled them to a 17-6 lead, sparking the momentum that would later define the remainder of the game. To complete the impressive 9-0 run in the last moments, Vhoris Marasigan hit a long-range shot, pushing the Green-and-White to a much more comfortable position, 20-6. Defense intensified from both sides of the court, especially after a timeout with 1:50 left on the clock, resulting in a scoreless final two minutes of the opening quarter.
Coming into the second quarter, multiple attempts were made during one possession, culminating in a score from EJ Gollena at the seven-minute mark, extending the lead to 35-13. After having a defensive role in the first quarter, Jcee Macalalag re-emerged in the second for team offense and delivered a personal 9-0 run, highlighted by a last-second three-point shot just before the buzzer for the cherry on top, closing the first half with a 17-point lead for the Green Archers, 44-27.
Raining buckets
After a dominant outing in the first frame, the Green Archers went on to solidify their gap with confident shooting as they opened the second half with a shot from beyond the arc, 47-27. Adamson’s Joshua Yerro muscled through La Salle’s defense to shoot their first two points, 47-29. With five minutes left on the clock, reigning MVP Quiambao drilled back-to-back triples from beyond the arc, 53-33. Stellar teamwork was also a key contributor to La Salle’s dominant outing, as Josh David’s steal and assist delivered Dungo’s fourth three-pointer of the match, 56-35.
Six minutes into the quarter, Raven Gonzales also contributed a three of his own with no one from Adamson guarding him, 59-37. As La Salle led the game, Adamson’s gritty defense was commendable; the team persevered with their offensive rebounds to keep the ball in their possession, which led to two free throws by Manzano, 64-45. The third quarter ended with Ramiro splitting his free throws to contribute to the 20-point advantage, 65-45.
The Soaring Falcons did their best to weasel their way to score as Montebon shot a two, much to no avail. La Salle’s scoring was flawless, with Abadam and Agunanne contributing to the team’s two-pointers of their own, 69-50.
A bright spot in the Adamson team is Montebon, who was carrying a load of scoring for his team in the frame, 76-52. As the end drew near with less than two minutes left, La Salle’s bench also made their presence felt as Marasigan and Matt Rubico contributed a shot from beyond the arc and a steady two-pointer, 82-52. The spunky La Salle team was able to command the rest of the game, resulting in a 30-point blowout victory in favor of the Archers, 82-52.
After a superior performance by the Green Archers, Head Coach Topex Robinson explained that establishing a good power was instrumental to their victory: “We weren’t really looking at the score, we were just playing basketball, trying to keep the energy, that’s why we pretty much used up everybody just so we’ll have the same energy.”
Dungo, who had a breakout game today as he made all five of his shots from beyond the arc, remains humble as he anticipates his first rivalry game against the ADMU Blue Eagles in the UAAP. He said, “Ibibigay ko lang ‘yung best ko pag binigyan ako ng opportunity ni coach maglaro sa Sunday.”
(I will make sure to do my best in the match if I will be given the opportunity to play this Sunday.)
Coming off this statement win, the DLSU Green Archers will continue to strengthen their skills as they take on the ADMU Blue Eagles in a highly-awaited rivalry showdown on Sunday, September 15, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 82 – Quiambao 21, Dungo 15, Agunanne 11, Macalalag 9, Marasigan 8, Gollena 7, Ramiro 3, Gonzales 3, Rubico 3, Abadam 2, Alian 0, David 0, Konov 0, M. Phillips 0
AdU 52 – Manzano 15, Montebon 7, Anabo 7, Yerro 6, Ojarike 4, Erolon 3, Fransman 3, Alexander 3, Mantua 2, Barasi 2, Barcelona 0, Calisay 0, Dignadice 0, Ignacio 0, Ramos 0, Ronzone 0
Quarter Scores: 20-6, 44-27, 65-45, 82-52
