The DLSU Green Archers took down the New Era Hunters with an 80-74 victory, igniting their winning streak in the Pinoyliga Next Man Cup earlier today, March 9, at the Enderun Colleges.
Jacob Cortez earned Player of the Game honors after bulking the stat sheet with 16 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Mason Amos also lit fire with 23 points, including three late game three-pointers to seal La Salle’s victory.
On the other hand, New Era University’s Toritseju Adams dominated the paint with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks, while Jared Sevilla and Tristan Tolentino logged 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Making a statement
The DLSU Green Archers struggled to make their baskets in the first few minutes of the game, which eventually led to an early timeout after the New Era Hunters’ scoring run, 6-0. After the timeout, the Green Archers followed with a scoring run of their own as Andrei Dungo, Vhoris Marasigan, and M. Amos got inside for quick buckets to tie the game, 6-all. The Hunters called for a timeout after Marasigan’s three-point dagger gave the Green Archers their first lead of the match, yet La Salle continued to extend their lead as Alex Konov drained another three-pointer. The Green Archers amped their defense while making the most of the Hunters’ shooting drought, with Luis Pablo sinking a basket from the free throw line, 15-9. With 39 seconds left in the first quarter, Konov made two more baskets from the free throw line, giving DLSU the biggest lead of the match with a nine-point cushion, 19-10.
After a dominant first quarter, it became a close contest in the second quarter as the Taft-based squad struggled again to make their baskets. NEU consequently took advantage of La Salle’s shooting drought and shot clock violations. M. Amos powered through with a three-pointer, tallying the Green Archers’ first point in the quarter, while Cortez followed suit with a layup to extend the DLSU’s lead to six, 26-20. It was a heated match as both teams were on penalty with four minutes remaining in the second quarter. Adams lit up to erase the Green Archers’ lead, putting pressure on the Lasallians with a one-point deficit, 29-28. Matthew Rubico made both baskets from the free throw line to snatch back the lead to the Green Archers, 30-29. With two minutes remaining, the Taft-based squad scored back-to-back points from Dungo’s sharp trey and Cortez’s quick layup, 34-30. However, a clutch three-pointer from New Era cut La Salle’s lead to just one point as the second quarter closed, 36-35.
Dagger baskets
Both teams came out of the gates determined for the second half. New Era’s Tolentino kicked off with a pull-up three while M. Amos and Marasigan got to the board with crafty inside finishes. The New Era Hunters got physical as Adams flaunted a strong paint presence, putting in an emphatic two-hand dunk. However, the Green Archers quickly responded with M. Amos making three to tie the game, 44-all. Pablo showed up by contributing free throws after drawing fouls inside the paint against Adams, putting NEU into foul trouble midway into the third quarter. Both teams went back-and-forth with lead changes until the Green Archers eventually gained the upper hand with full court pressure, causing the Hunters to make costly turnovers. The Green-and-White got back to a comfortable position, opening up Dungo for a timely three-pointer to extend DLSU’s lead back to four with two minutes left in the third quarter, 52-48. DLSU ended the physical third quarter with a go-ahead layup by Dungo, entering the final quarter with a five-point cushion, 56-51.
The fourth quarter opened up with a poster dunk and a hook shot by Adams to set the tone for the Hunters. However, Dungo and Cortez got inside the paint for crafty finishes, causing the Hunters yet again to get into foul trouble. Cortez continued his amazing performance, inflating the lead even further with a three-pointer and a fastbreak play, 68-60. As time went down, New Era was eager to close the gap with quick jumpers from Vincent Nablo and King Gallardo, bringing La Salle’s lead back to five. M. Amos then caught fire with back-to-back dagger threes to double the lead to 10 with less than 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, 74-64. Despite hustle plays from the Hunters, M. Amos iced La Salle’s game with another three-pointer, ultimately putting the seal on the cap to put away the game in favor of DLSU. Serafin Duarte got physical and had to be held back by the entire NEU team, causing a stoppage to the game right before it ended. After the unsportsmanlike foul and technical free throws were over, the Green Archers finished the game off with another victory, securing their second win in their Pinoyliga campaign, 80-74.
With two games down for the defending champions, the DLSU Green Archers seek to extend their winning streak as they await their next game in the Pinoyliga Next Man Cup.
The Scores:
DLSU 80 – M. Amos 23, Cortez 16, Dungo 11, Konov 9, Pablo 7,Marasigan 7, Rubico 4, Alian 2, Zamora 1, Sarmiento 0, C. Amos 0, Romero 0
New Era 74 – Adams 22, Sevilla 12, Tolentino 11, Duarte 8, David 6, Nablo 5, Manzano 4, Gallardo 3, Lauzon 2, Basabica 1, Labio 0, Arambulo 0
Quarter Scores: 19-10, 36-35, 56-51, 80-74
