Two wins away from defending the crown in Taft, the DLSU Green Archers breezed their way to the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament Finals after subjugating the fourth-seeded AdU Soaring Falcons with a blowout victory, 70-55, yesterday, November 30, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Motor Mike Phillips steered the captain’s wheel in the Green Archers’ voyage to the Finals with a reliable showing of eight points, four assists, eight rebounds, and five steals to be hailed Player of the Game. Soon-to-be back-to-back Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kevin Quiambao proved himself as the season’s best baller after notching 14 points, two assists, and three rebounds. Meanwhile, veteran Joshua David was the unsung hero for the victorious chronicle after sinking 11 points of his own.
Royce Mantua staunchly took the initiative in leading Adamson’s gallant efforts with 14 explosive points. Adding on to the Soaring Falcons’ shootfest was Cedrick Manzano, who marked 13 points, one assist, and nine rebounds.
Asserting dominance
The Green Archers beat the Soaring Falcons for a combined total of 55 points in both of their first and second round matchups, yet the Green-and-White saw themselves facing a much-improved foe in the Final Four—one that had transformed into the tournament’s top-ranked defense that allowed the Ermita-based squad to book a last-chance ride to the semifinals. As the number one offense themselves, while also boasting defensive talents in Quiambao and Phillips, the defending champions were swift to take early command of the game.
Reigning MVP Quiambao ignited the offense immediately, scoring DLSU’s first few points and responding to Joshua Yerro’s two triples with a reverse layup that regained their advantage, 7-6. Following a wide-open Matt Erolon three-pointer that stole the lead, La Salle managed to tighten their defense and force several Adamson turnovers using their pesky man-to-man coverage. What followed was poor decision-making from Eli Ramos which slowed down the Soaring Falcons’ momentum, opening up DLSU’s opportunities on the other end. M. Phillips took full advantage of AdU’s sloppy play, capping off the quarter with a hook shot off an offensive rebound followed by a steal and a thunderous fastbreak right-hand jam to give DLSU an 18-11 edge.
The Taft-based squad displayed even greater energy in the second frame. With guard Matthew Rubico providing valuable minutes on the floor, the Green Archers showcased their team’s depth while still maintaining their intense defensive pressure. Despite flashing different defensive schemes such as a two-three zone and a no-switching man-to-man setup, Adamson could barely prevent La Salle from scoring. At the 6:17 mark, Rubico earned a bucket and had a chance for more at the charity stripe but missed the free throw. However, his well-angled miss allowed him to clean up with a left-handed hangtime finish, pushing the lead to ten at 26-16. La Salle’s defensive dominance continued as Quiambao, M. Phillips, and even rookie Alex Konov religiously anchored the paint, forcing Adamson to take contested shots that just would not fall. The Green Archers’ efforts on defense completely threw the Soaring Falcons out of rhythm, which ultimately rewarded them with an 11-1 burst sparked by three-pointers from David and Konov to end the half with a hefty 19-point advantage, 36-17.
Close call
After limiting the opponents’ output to just 17 points in the first half, La Salle’s journey to the Finals berth was far from over. The Soaring Falcons ignited much better offense as the deadly pairing of Manzano and Mantua showed out in the second half with back-to-back baskets. Meanwhile, the Green Archers converted several outings from beyond the arc as David’s two straight treys off remarkable assists from Quiambao and Lian Ramiro’s three-pointer shrugged off Mantua’s dominance in the paint, unleashing a formidable 21-point gutter for the defending champions, 50-29. Vhoris Marasigan’s agility also did wonders for the Taft squad as his layups, one from a no-look assist by Ramiro, consistently scrambled the Adamson defense. By the end of the third quarter, the Green Archers held on to a comfortable 25-point cushion at their disposal, 59-34.
However, the Soaring Falcons suddenly found their groove in the fourth quarter, returning to their more familiar defensive ways as the league’s number one defensive team. This dangerously stunned DLSU’s offensive production to only 11 points in the closing canto. After a silent opening for DLSU, Andrei Dungo made his presence known with a fadeaway to keep the Archers’ offense at bay. But it was not enough for the Falcons’ surge with triples from Manu Anabo and Mantua sparking a 16-4 run for the San Marcelino stalwarts, slashing the lead down to 13, 63-50. This prompted La Salle to call for a much-needed return for the league’s top two players, M. Phillips and Quiambao, to stabilize their failing offense. As expected, their presence made all the difference as Quiambao chalked up four straight points off two fouls and M. Phillips managed a putback to reassert La Salle’s lead to 17, 69-52. In the last two minutes of the match, the final efforts of Manzano’s layup and Flever Dignadice’s punctuation trey for the Soaring Falcons were not enough as the buzzer signaled the defending champions’ eventual return to the UAAP Finals in dominating fashion, 70-55.
In anticipation of their crucial Semifinals matchup, King Archer Quiambao shared that the team saw the game as a new playing field where both teams entered with a clean slate. “Pinag-usapan ng coaches namin na despite 55 points ‘yung margin [sa huling dalawang laro namin kalaban Adamson], magsisimula [ang laro] sa 0-0 ulit. So, [we have to] focus on [ourselves], kung ano ‘yung strengths namin,” explained Quiambao.
(Our coaches discussed that despite the 55-point margin in our previous matches against Adamson, the game will start at 0-0 again. So, we have to focus on ourselves and our strengths.)
As they look forward to their blockbuster UAAP Season 86 Finals rematch against the UP Fighting Maroons, DLSU Head Coach Topex Robinson acknowledged the challenge of facing a formidable opponent like UP, emphasizing the importance of focusing on themselves and sticking to their game plan, “We don’t know what they will do. We don’t have control of what they will do. We have full control of what we’re gonna do heading into the Finals. Ayun lang talaga ‘yung pagtutuunan namin [ng] pansin. Just having a lot of time to be together so we could work on what really builds us. It’s just gonna get us to this championship.”
(That’s really where our attention will be.)
The Green-and-White will get much-needed time to prepare for their grueling title defense against the revengeful UP Fighting Maroons, with Game One of the Finals set to take place on December 8, at 5:30 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU – Quiambao 14, David 11, M. Phillips 8, Ramiro 7, Rubico 6, Dungo 5, Marasigan 5, Agunanne 4, Gonzales 4, Konov 4, Austria 2, Alian 0, Gollena 0, Macalalag 0
AdU – Mantua 14, Manzano 13, Anabo 6, Yerro 6, Erolon 5, Dignadice 3, Ramos 3, Barasi Jr. 2, Ojarikre 2, Montebon 1, Alexander 0, Barcelona 0, Ignacio 0, Ronzone 0
Quarter Scores: 18-11, 36-17, 59-34, 70-55
