The DLSU Green Archers exhibited another match for the books as they mercilessly took down the UST Growling Tigers in their UAAP Season 87 Round One matchup, 88-67, earlier tonight, September 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Player of the Game Mike Phillips once again went out of his way for the Green Archers with 12 points, 18 rebounds, two assists, and shot 50 percent from the field. Vhoris Marasigan also put in the work with 11 points and two rebounds, while Kevin Quiambao pitched in 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Nic Cabanero was responsible for nearly one-fourth of the UST Growling Tigers’ score with 16 points, one rebound, and an assist. Meanwhile, Forthsky Padrigao exerted 15 points including a rebound and five assists.
Entering the Tiger’s den
It was a sluggish opening from the Green Archers with shots from UST draining beyond the arc. As the Growling Tigers consistently pushed their offense with their perimeter shots, Quiambao was brought into the game to lift up the Taft-based squad. With the reigning MVP in the game, La Salle was slowly able to cut the lead to six after an EJ Gollena free throw, 14-8.
DLSU made more adjustments to their lineup, inserting Earl Abadam into the lineup. The changes immediately bore fruit as Quiambao and Abadam narrowed the gap, 18-13. With one and a half minutes left, Quiambao was subbed out of the game after a hit left his lip bleeding, earning the Green Archers technical free throws. With the ace out, Andrei Dungo stepped up for La Salle and drained late free throws to take the lead just before the end of the first quarter, 19-18.
The latter part of the first half was a time for the Green Archers to redeem their first quarter performance. Still testing the waters, both teams tried vying for each other’s loose ends. The catalyst of the new momentum was Marasigan, who earned the first point in this quarter that DLSU was tirelessly working on. Raven Gonzales also stepped up to add more firepower to the Green-and-White’s traction, bringing the lead to five, 23-18.
After a Padrigao three-point play and Manaytay layup, the Tigers regained back the lead, 25-23. Four minutes into the quarter, Quiambao and Gollena brought back the dominance to the Green-and-White after finding their rhythm in offense, 30-27. Marasigan coming off the bench was a good decision for DLSU, as he was seen raking in significant markers, while Phillips continued his dominance on the court before the halftime break, 36-30.
Catch me if you can
The favor was on the Green Archers side, building on the previous quarter’s six-point lead from multiple successful free throws and a two-pointer shot. The Phillips-Raven Gonzales tandem managed to put DLSU in a 10-point lead, 41-31, prompting the now-shaken Tigers to call a timeout. Phillips continued to drop dimes after another over the men from España who relied on Padrigao’s series of three-point attempts and Cabanero’s long two-pointers to counter, keeping the Green Archers’ lead in single digits, 49-42. Marasigan’s shot from the three-point arc and CJ Austria’s putback cut the UST crowd’s celebration short to put the margin back to double digits, 54-42. The Tiger’s Padrigao-Cabanero combo worked hard to keep up with the Lasallians using their same tactics, but they were no match with Phillips’ charge who capped off the third quarter with a layup, 61-52.
Gollena and JC Macalalag christened the match’s last quarter with back-to-back three-pointers that gave the Archers a 15-point lead, 67-52. Hurt by the gap, the Growling Tigers struggled to narrow the difference with a completely different team from the first half. The Lasallians capitalized on their opponents’ loss of rhythm to maintain their wide lead after a collective effort by Josh David, Macalalag, and Henry Agunanne, 78-62. Still with a comfortable distance in the scoreboard, Marasigan, Austria, and Alex Konov were left to put the final touches in the last two minutes to etch a stunning win for the Green Archers, 88-67.
Phillips was left emotional and shared how he went through dark and overwhelming times, but he is thankful for having a family here and for having faith in his teammates and coaches. “Wake up every day and appreciate what you have,” cried Phillips. When asked about how he feels earning a double-double, Mike says how he’s “just part of the team”, giving credit to everyone working towards the same goal. With tears brimming from his eyes, Phillips shares that he dedicated tonight’s game to Doleo Susalta, a security guard he was close with who recently passed.
Head Coach Topex Robinson stressed the importance of his team’s interconnectedness, elated at how the boys are holding onto their faith. When asked about Marasigan’s stunning performance, he responded, “Vhoris doesn’t take shots because [they were] there, [but] because everyone was there.” This game also was an Alex Konov debut, his three-pointer was not a play that the coaches called. Robinson also highlighted how proud he was for the team’s assists today.
The Green Archers are up to play with the top-seeded UP Fighting Maroons next Sunday, October 6, at 6:30 pm at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores
DLSU 88 – Phillips 12, Marasigan 11, Quiambao 10, Gonzales 10, Macalalag 10, Agunanne 7, Austria 6, Gollena 7, Dungo 6, David 4, Abadam 3, Konov 3, Ramiro 0
UST 67 – Cabanero 16, Padrigao 15, Acido 9, Manaytay 8, Tounkara 5, Llemit 5, Danting 5, Robinson 2, Lane 2, Calum 0, Estacio 0, Paranada 0, Mahmood 0, Crisostomo 0, Pangilinan 0, Laure 0
Quarter scores: 19-18, 36-30, 61-52, 88-67
