Coming from their first loss of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the hands of the UE Red Warriors, the DLSU Green Archers reclaimed glory and showed their championship mentality despite second-half jitters against the FEU Tamaraws, 68-62, boosting them to a 4-1 record earlier tonight, September 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Commanding the Green-and-White was Player of the Game Mike Phillips, who listed 13 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in their grind win. Kevin Quiambao also delivered a strong performance with a double-double outing, scoring 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and three steals to help the Green Archers in their recovery game.
Fronting the Tamaraws’ gritty performance was Janrey Pasaol, who unleashed 13 points after a fierce shooting performance, along with three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Working for FEU as well were Mohamed Konateh, who posted an impressive 12 points, 25 rebounds, and four blocks, and Veejay Pre, who scored 11 points for the win-hungry team.
Early game
The Taft-based squad fended off the Tamaraws in the first half with comfortable margins, looking to secure their fourth win. To kick off the opening quarter, Quiambao released a flawless trey right on the line after inside shots from Jcee Macalalag and Henry Agunnane, leaving FEU scoreless and DLSU with a preliminary advantage, 7-0. The Tamaraws caught up with the Green Archers in the middle of the first inning after Jorick Bautista’s early scoring burst, 11-7.
La Salle found their first double-digit lead at 17-7 after their constant efforts on both sides of the court from Phillip’s jumper and a split free throw followed by a three-point play from Quiambao. The last improvement for the Green-and-White in the opening quarter was EJ Gollena from the free throw line, but this was immediately overshadowed by a powerful slam dunk by Adam Nakai, 19-13.
Making up for the lack of action, Gollena started things up for the Green Archers in the second quarter with a corner triple to help the team pull away once again just over a minute in, 22-15. The Tamaraws poured out all their might trying to close the distance between them and DLSU, but the Green-and-White escaped nearly every time. Earl Abadam initially served a defensive role in the first quarter; yet, he doubled down on his efforts on the other side of the court, drilling seven points capped with a fade-away jumper to reclaim a double-digit margin for the green shirts, 33-21.
The remaining two minutes of the first half were quiet on both ends of the court, until Konateh of FEU broke the ice with a smooth layup in hopes of closing in before heading to the dug-out, 35-28. However, one-and-done point guard Lian Ramiro wanted his own piece of action of the game and registered a roaring three with just enough time left on the clock, sealing the first half with room to breathe, 38-28.
Scaling fixtures
The Green Archers entered the second half with renewed confidence as Quiambao opened with a swift-and-short jumper, 40-28. However, the Tamaraws effortlessly climbed the double-digit hill as DLSU’s defense loosened. In a series of turnovers, Tamaraw Rojan Montemayor consecutively converted a three-pointer and a jump shot to bring FEU closer to the struggling Green Archers, 47-41. Raven Gonzales finally stopped the drought with a layup, followed by Quiambao’s jumper to boost the Green Archers to a four-point cushion, 51-47. The Lasallian crowd did not have time to celebrate the lead after FEU star player Pasaol answered immediately with a ringless three-point shot, capping off the third quarter with only a one-point difference, 51-50.
The court’s climate shifted in the last quarter of the match as DLSU found themselves in a back-and-forth for the lead, throwing the upper hand to the Morayta-based squad after Miguel Ona’s putback, 52-51. Vhoris Marasigan did not succumb to the pressure and pitched in his only score in the game to give the lead back to the DLSU, 53-52. However, the Tamaraws caught up with their opponent’s speed as Royce Alforque converted a bankshot, 54-53. A crunch-time effort off of M. Phillips’ series of two-point slams, together with an Abadam layup, Agunanne four-point stash, and split free throws by Macalalag and Gollena, erased FEU’s chances of pulling a come-from-behind and secured the Green Archers’ win, 68-62.
Evading a second consecutive upset, Head Coach Topex expressed credence in their hard-earned comeback, proclaiming “When you get so used to winning, parang kasalanan na matalo ka. It just reminded us [that] this game, this season for us is going to be hard—and even harder—just like what happened today with FEU.”
(It’s like a crime to lose.)
After a nailbiter victory, the DLSU Green Archers remain second in the standings. The Green-and-White will look to improve on their winning record and tame the UST Growling Tigers next Sunday, September 29, at 4:30 pm, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 68 – M. Phillips 13, Quiambao 12, Abadam 9, Agunnane 9, Gonzales 8, Gollena 6, David 3, Macalalag 3, Ramiro 3, Marasigan 2, Austria 0, Dungo 0, Rubico 0
FEU 62 – Pasaol 13, Konateh 12, Pre 11, Bautista 9, Alforque 6, Montemayor 5, Nakai 4, Ona 2, Daa 0, Bagunu 0
Quarter Scores: 19-13, 38-28, 51-50, 68-62
