The DLSU Green Archers successfully capitalized on the UP Fighting Maroons’ Game Two woes in a passion-filled effort, 76-75, in the second installment of the UAAP Season 87 Finals series earlier tonight, December 11, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. This victory sets up a winner-takes-all Game Three to decide this season’s champions.
Back-to-back MVP Kevin Quiambao loaded the stat sheet, earning Player of the Game honors with a staggering 22 points, nine boards, and two assists on a 50-percent shooting performance. Meanwhile, Team Captain Mike Phillips persisted for the victory as he chipped in 18 points, 12 rebounds, and one assist.
JD Cagulangan, Francis Lopez, and Gerry Abadiano spearheaded UP’s charge with 16 points each. Meanwhile, Quentin Millora-Brown added 11 points of his own in hopes of winning the big man battle.
Perpetual motion
Hoping for a complete turnaround from a second-half drubbing in Game One, the DLSU Green Archers entered the familiar high-stakes territory of a do-or-die match. However, the reigning champions faltered early, as the Lopez-led Fighting Maroons surged to a quick 3-0 lead. Court general M. Phillips responded with a smooth short-range jumper, finally putting La Salle on the board at 3-2. Regardless, DLSU continued to grapple with defensive lapses and ball control at 6-4. The Green Archers were further undermined when Abadiano sank a perimeter shot, pushing the score to 9-4 and cementing UP’s early dominance.
Recognizing the urgent need for a momentum shift, Coach Topex Robinson brought in newly crowned MVP Quiambao and Raven Gonzales to inject fresh energy into the rotation. The crowd erupted at the entrance of the King Archer, but even with the changes, La Salle found it difficult to crack UP’s relentless defense at an 11-8 trouble. CJ Austria then stepped up as a pivotal playmaker, assisting Quiambao’s first slam at the four-minute mark to hand DLSU a narrow 12-11 lead.
The Fighting Maroons quickly adjusted to focus their defense on Quiambao as M. Phillips carried the scoring load, where he contributed half of DLSU’s points by this stage, 20-13. In response, Cagulangan re-entered the game as UP scrambled to regain control of the hardwood court. Lopez and M. Phillips traded baskets with floaters, free throws, and treys, bridging the gap closer, 26-22. Near the buzzer, setup man JC Macalalag delivered a critical putback, closing the first quarter with a solid 28-22 lead for La Salle.
Entering the second quarter, both teams were stuck in a rut as two minutes passed with a stagnant scoreboard. Reyland Torres then broke the ice with a downtown shot followed by Gani Stevens’ drive to the basket, bringing UP closer with the lead down to one, 28-27. After struggling to push forward, Josh David fired beyond the arc, extending DLSU’s lead to 31-27.
Lopez began to fade after missing his opportunities while his teammates grew more aggressive against the Green Archers, earning consecutive personal fouls and even a warning for improper bench decorum. With the Fighting Maroons under pressure, Coach Robinson maintained his constant rotation to send rapid fires to UP with M. Phillips’ charity shots, Gonzales’ flawless pivot for a basket, and a Macalalag floater to outclass UP, 32-37. In a last-ditch effort, a frustrated Cagulangan launched a three-pointer that went beyond the net, closing the second quarter with a 39-36 lead by La Salle.
Bringing hope alive
With a narrow three-point lead, the Green Archers maintained their attacking presence inside after shooting ten-percent from the three-point line in the first half. EJ Gollena and Henry Agunanne worked inside the paint to extend the lead to seven a minute in, 43-36. However, the UP backcourt of Abadiano and Cagulangan showed off their shooting strokes to immediately erase La Salle’s lead, 43-all. The two contenders continued to trade baskets until a Torres unsportsmanlike foul handed the lead back to the Green-and-White, 50-47. Yet Cagulangan stepped up for the Fighting Maroons in the closing minutes of the third quarter, where the Mythical Five point guard fed his teammates the ball to force La Salle’s defense to open up. It was this playmaking that opened up Cagulangan to rain four three-pointers late in the third quarter as the Diliman-based squad entered the break with an eight-point advantage, 62-54.
With the Fighting Maroons’ star man in prime form, the crown looked to shift heads with momentum on UP’s side; but the Green Archers did not back down. Quiambao and Austria’s layups kept the lead in single digits in an attempt to spark La Salle’s hopes. With rookie Matt Rubico’s insertion, his gritty defense made La Salle find stability to keep them within striking distance. With a Quiambao three-pointer, the Green Archers got close to within four points, 67-63. However, Cagulangan maintained his composure, driving inside the paint and creating chances for his teammates to extend the lead back to seven and raise anxiety in the Lasallian crowd, 73-66. La Salle went back into their inside presence to salvage the game as M. Phillips made his hook shot.
With the championship slipping away, Quiambao took charge and unleashed his MVP form. The King Archer drained two difficult three-pointers and found M. Phillips inside for an easy layup to grab the lead back and send the Lasallian crowd back into euphoria, 76-75. However, with a minute left on the clock, Game Two was still up for grabs. La Salle stole the ball on UP’s next possession, but was unable to score. Lopez found an opening inside for an easy layup, but Quiambao fouled him in the hopes of missed free throws. The test of fate became reality as La Salle remained in the lead, yet the Green-and-White also missed late free throws to ice the game. UP looked to capitalize on the late free throws, but Lopez threw the ball away in the final seconds as the Green Archers tied the series with a Game Two comeback victory, 76-75.
After the game, Coach Robinson shared that the comeback victory was a group effort as the team collectively made chances for one another to win the game, “KQ is just one of us. When we were down and out, these guys just told everybody [to not] give up; just keep playing. I guess we made the necessary stops in the endgame and gave us an opportunity to connect from the outside.”
M. Phillips attributed the victory to God, sharing how prayer has pushed the team to continue their amazing journey, “God. God is so good. Not just because we won, but God has been there for us in the highs and lows. I wish you could have been there during practice. Coach Topex gave one of the most amazing prayers I have heard from a man.”
Following this clutch victory, the UAAP Finals series is tied at 1-all. The Green Archers now go into a winner-takes-all match as the ultimate test for their championship defense in Game Three this Sunday, December 15, at 5:30 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU 76 – Quiambao 22, M. Phillips 18, Gollena 9, Macalalag 9, Gonzales 8, Austria 5, David 3, Agunanne 2, Marasigan 0, Ramiro 0, Rubico 0
UP 75 – Cagulangan 16, Lopez 16, Abadiano 16, Millora-Brown 11, Alarcon 5, Torres 5, Torculas 2, Ududo 2, Stevens 2, Felicilda 0, Bayla 0, Fortea 0
Quarter Scores: 28-22, 39-36, 54-62, 76-75
