The DLSU Lady Archers came up short in stopping the top-seeded NU Lady Bulldogs from a UAAP Season 87 sweep, 72-63, in a mid-court-focused game earlier today, November 13, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The Lady Archers played as a unit behind Luisa San Juan, who supplied 19 points, three assists, and six rebounds. Veteran Lady Archer Lee Sario also tallied 14 points, four rebounds, and three steals.
On the winner’s circle, Cielo Pagdulagan led the way with 11 points and three rebounds, supported by Aloha Betanio, Kristine Cayabyab, and Gypsey Canuto’s nine-point contributions.
Arrows grounded
The Lady Archers came out of the gate prepared with a 2-3 zone defense against the Lady Bulldogs, who struggled to score early in the game. With the Lady Bulldogs scoreless, Patricia Mendoza took advantage and scored the first points of the game. Thanks to tight defense and quick ball movement, the Green-and-White led in the first four minutes, 6-0.
The Lady Archers found their rhythm in the first quarter, with Mendoza contributing key rebounds. The Lady Bulldogs responded with baskets of their own, but Mendoza extended La Salle’s lead with back-to-back baskets, 10-2. As the quarter came to a close, Sario drained the first three-pointer of the game to extend the Lasallian lead to six, 15-9.
The undefeated Lady Bulldogs quickly adjusted to La Salle’s defense, scoring four quick points. Sario answered with another three for the Lady Archers, 18-13. NU ramped up the pressure with a full-court defense, eventually hitting their first three-pointer after 10 attempts, narrowing La Salle’s lead to one, 18-17.
With the lead shrinking, La Salle tried to regain momentum but struggled, committing several turnovers. With six minutes left in the half, a foul allowed NU to even the score, 20-all. Riding their momentum, Camille Clarin hit a quick basket, giving the Lady Bulldogs a two-point lead, 22-20. San Juan tried to spark a La Salle comeback, but the flame of her efforts was snuffed by back-to-back threes from NU, who had finally found their rhythm. The Lady Bulldogs then added two more baskets to close the half, extending their lead to nine, 33-24.
Mid-range drubbing
It was a brand new ball game as the Lady Archers entered the second half, trailing nine points behind the readjusted Lady Bulldogs. Clarin opened the third quarter with a quick three-pointer, extending the lead to double digits, 36-24. Angel Surada and Karl Pingol then added back-to-back baskets from inside the arc. La Salle’s only response came from Arabell Bacierto who scored on a fast break, 40-26.
The Lady Archers began to feel pressure from their top-seeded opponents as Bea Dalisay struggled to break through Surada’s defense, handing the chance to Bacierto, who missed a recycled long-range attempt. La Salle remained behind with a 14-point deficit. Then, an amped-up Mendoza attempted a three-pointer that was salvaged by San Juan into a jumper, 44-32.
However, a string of errors by the Lady Archers saw the biggest gap of the game, forcing Coach Cholo Villanueva to call a timeout, 51-35. Refreshed from the huddle, Kyla Sunga added four points from successive two-pointers, while Bettina Binaohan spun a layup. Yet, they were outmatched by the Bulldogs’ triples, closing the third quarter at 56-41.
Looking to recreate their strong first-quarter defense, Sario led the white shirts by scoring the first basket of the final quarter, cutting the lead to 13, 56-43. Coach Aris Dimaunahan of NU subbed in Gheralyn Ico, who made an immediate impact with a short-range shot, creating a 15-point lead, 58-43. This early back-and-forth action in the quarter set the tone for the final minutes of the game, with both teams scoring consecutive points. However, their goals differed: the Lady Archers aimed to take the silver lining and close the game at a single-digit difference, while the Lady Bulldogs were focused on completing a season sweep. Sario, San Juan, and Sunga guided the Archers’ optimistic surge, while the Lady Bulldogs advanced with Clarin who steered their efforts that utilized rookies, ultimately closing the game at 72-63.
The Lady Archers seek to exit the season with a decisive statement win against the defending champions, UST Golden Tigresses, on November 23, at the FilOil EcoOil Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 63 – San Juan 19, Sario 14, Sunga 12, Mendoza 6, Bacierto 4, Paraiso 4, Binaohan 2, Dela Paz 0
NU 72 – Pagdulagan 11, Betanio 9, Cayabyab 9, Canuto 9, Clarin 8, Surada 7, Pingol 6, Konateh 3, Fabruada 3, Villanueva 3, Solis 2, Ico 2, Pring 0, Alterado 0, Garcia 0, Talas 0
Quarter Scores: 15-9, 24-33, 41-56, 63-72
