Meeting again on the hardwood for the first time since their intense UAAP Season 87 Finals showdown, the DLSU Green Archers overcame the UP Fighting Maroons in a high-scoring battle, 106-99, in the 18th FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup earlier tonight, May 31, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
Leading the Green Archers’ vengeful outing was Jacob Cortez, who delivered an explosive performance with 31 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Meanwhile, his backcourt partner, Kean Baclaan, also stepped up for the Green-and-White by contributing 20 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
On the other hand, Francis Nnoruka carried the Fighting Maroons in this highly-contested match, posting 21 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
Solid start
La Salle drew first blood, initiating a 6-0 scoring blitz within the first two minutes of the game through Vhoris Marasigan and Bright Nwankwo. The Taft-based squad held control early, building a double-digit cushion after finding their rhythm from the perimeter with Baclaan and Mason Amos’ three-pointers, 24-13. However, UP trimmed the lead to two after heating up on offense capped by a trey from Terrence Fortea, 26-24. Baclaan remained unfazed and hit back-to-back buckets to close the first quarter with La Salle still in the lead, 30-24.
The second quarter saw a slugfest with both teams trading blows. A triple from Reyland Torres finally gave UP the upper hand, 34-33. But Mike Phillips quickly answered with a basket and a bonus free throw, reclaiming the lead for DLSU, 36-34. Despite the Green Archers executing their playbook on the offensive end, UP snatched their largest lead of the half at six points. The Green Archers again stormed back with a scoring burst, highlighted by a stepback jumper from Cortez in the final 30 seconds to tie the game at 60-all. However, La Salle’s hopes of entering the second half on even footing were shattered when Gerry Abadiano sank a floater, putting UP ahead at the break, 62-60.
Closing the show
Looking to flip the script, Cortez opened the third quarter with two baskets in quick succession to restore the Green Archers’ lead, 64-62. After a back-and-forth stretch, Andrei Dungo gave the Green-and-White the edge with an and-one finish before converting his bonus free throw, 69-68. The Diliman-based side remained undeterred, retaking the lead with a basket from Nnoruka off a Harold Alarcon assist. UP maintained their high intensity, outdoing La Salle for offensive boards despite not converting. Noy Remogat rallied the black shirts, cutting through the defense to extend their lead to three, 72-69. DLSU’s frontcourt duo of Luis Pablo and Amos then attacked the paint in consecutive possessions, only to be met with back-to-back threes from Fortea and Torres, 78-74. La Salle eventually had the edge after sparking a 6-0 run, punctuated by a putback from Baclaan, 80-78. The Taft-based side unleashed another scoring run capped off by EJ Gollena’s steal, ending the third quarter with a six-point advantage, 89-83.
Eager to bounce back, UP came out swinging in the fourth quarter with consecutive baskets from Seven Gagate and Nnoruka to cut the lead down to two, 89-87. Cortez responded with a stepback three to open the scoring for the Green-and-White and widen the gap to five. Both squads stayed aggressive in penetrating the lane, drawing consecutive fouls and converting from the stripe. The Fighting Maroons deployed a blitz on Baclaan, only for this to be broken with a strong finish, 98-92. Nnoruka and Cortez then exchanged baskets, including a powerful slam from the former. After getting fouled, Baclaan was sent to the penalty line but missed both free throws. In the last two minutes, Cortez took over, drawing defenders to set Phillips up for a floater, then converting on a crucial stepback three to stretch the lead to nine, 105-96. Fortea kept UP alive with a long-range shot. But Baclaan iced the game by splitting his free throws, sealing the victory for La Salle, 106-99.
After the match, Green Archers Head Coach Topex Robinson reflected on the close victory and offensive acumen of both squads. “What was surprising was the halftime score was 60-62. We were talking about it during halftime that it could have been a full game already but this just shows how both teams are capable offensively,” he remarked.
Coach Robinson also highlighted the Green Archers’ defensive identity and the importance of staying grounded throughout the season.
Cortez, who was named Player of the Game, expressed his motivations for the highly anticipated game with UP after sitting out last season due to his residency. “I have been waiting to go against this team for a year and you could say that motivation comes from the UAAP season, losing to them and losing a lot of players.”
The Green Archers look to remain unblemished and improve their standing to 3-0 as they return to the same venue against the NU Bulldogs on June 25 at 4 pm.
The Scores:
DLSU 106 – Cortez 31, Baclaan 20, Pablo 11, Amos 9, Phillips 8, Marasigan 6, Nwanko 6, Gollena 6, Dungo 5, Macalalag 4, Melencio 0
UP 99 – Nnoruka 21, Fortea 17, Alarcon 15, Torres 9, Gagate 8, Abadiano 6, Belmonte 5, Remogat 4, Stevens 4, Briones 4, Felicida 3, Yniguez 3, Alter 0, Coronel 0
Quarter Scores: 30-24, 60-62, 89-83, 106-99
