The DLSU Green Archers knocked down the NU Bulldogs in a thrilling 69-64 victory, still flawless in their FilOil EcoOil Preseason Tournament campaign earlier today, June 25, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
Kean Baclaan earned the Player of the Game honors after scoring a game-high 18 points with two rebounds and three assists. Jacob Cortez and Mason Amos also added firepower with 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
On the other end, Nathaniel Tulabut headed the Bulldogs’ losing effort with 11 points and seven rebounds, with Jake Figueroa pitching in 11 points, while Steve Nash Enriquez raked in nine points.
Sluggish start
Vhoris Marasigan was the catalyst for the unbeaten Lasallians, creating scoring opportunities in the early minutes. However, the Taft-based squad was unable to capitalize on Marasigan’s burst, leading to a combination of bad passes, miscommunications, and forced turnovers which allowed the Bulldogs to seize an early advantage. Baclaan ignited the Green-and-White, ending their cold spell with three minutes left on the clock, 9-5.
La Salle fixated on rotating their players to find their rhythm. Meanwhile, Baclaan continued to shine a light for the Green Archers, bringing the game to an 11-all deadlock with his free throws. This marked the beginning of La Salle’s newfound momentum as they consistently found the bottom of the net. Earl Abadam stepped foot into the court and quickly made his mark for his team, 14-11. Baclaan’s basket ended the opening quarter, giving La Salle a five-point advantage despite their shaky start, 16-11.
Coming off of slow beginnings, the Green Archers were determined to build upon their five-point lead. Fresh off the bench, Andrei Dungo opened the scoring in the second quarter, 18-11. La Salle’s deep-rooted bench was put to the test, with the coaching staff mixing in their players and taking advantage of their 16-man lineup. Amos began raking in numbers for the Lasallians, which was followed up by J. Cortez also chiming in, 24-15. Rhyle Melencio’s appearance made an instant impact, contributing a basket. An Amos trey widened the gap further to 11 in favor of DLSU, 31-20.
Despite the Bulldogs clawing at any opportunity they came across, their comeback stalled when Jake Figueroa suffered a facial injury after a heavy collision with Mike Phillips, sidelining him for the remainder of the game. Shortly after, Amos was forced to make a technical free throw, bringing the score up to 32-22. A Cortez three-pointer would be the cherry on top for the first half, sealing the deal at 37-26.
Brother’s keeper
J. Cortez started off the third quarter with a calm layup in traffic, boosting the Green Archers even further. Both teams would find themselves in a hotly contested match, with technical and unsportsmanlike calls by the referees toward La Salle. These calls allowed the Bulldogs to find the charity stripe and close the gap. Despite the whistle not going their way, the Green-and-White continuously hailed down with buckets and free throws of their own.
However, DLSU suffered a heavy blow, as J. Cortez was ejected from the match with six minutes left in the third quarter after committing a technical foul. NU immediately pounced, with Tulabut taking a go-ahead three over a now-disoriented DLSU defense, cutting the lead to six. Phillips responded by bodying the paint for easy two-pointers. Meanwhile, NU continued their barrage from the free throw line, exploiting the Green Archers’ penalty situation late in the third. Baclaan once again ignited the offense late in the third, with five quick points through an and-one layup conversion and a slick contested layup. His efforts restored La Salle’s 10-point lead going into the fourth, 54-44.
Jcee Macalalag led the offense into the fourth with a tough fading hook, followed by a towering block by Bright Nwankwo. Nathaniel Tulabut kept NU afloat with an and-one play of his own and scored four straight points. The tide slowly shifted toward NU midway, but their surge was cut short with forced turnovers and contested shots, courtesy of Phillips’ gritty defense. Reinhard Jumamoy attempted to catch fire with back-to-back threes, closing the gap to a five-point lead, 61-56.
Despite being on the brink of a one-possession game, Mikey Cortez earned a late bucket with a runner at the wing, getting his first point as a Green Archer and extending the lead by four. A foul by Baclaan with under a minute remaining sent Manansala to the free throw line. Yet, it was M. Cortez who ended the match. Pulling off late-game heroics, he sank a clutch three-pointer to launch the Green Archers into a flawless escape, 69-64.
During the post-game interview, Green Archers Head Coach Topex Robinson reflected on their growth as a team while facing their opponents. “It’s no surprise that it’s going to be a close game, in two weeks’ time, this is the third time we’ve faced each other. We know it’s going to be physical, we know it’s going to be rugged, so we just prepare for this and it’s an opportunity for us to grow as a team.”
Baclaan, who will begin his first stint as a Green Archer this UAAP Season 88, also highlighted the importance of focus, emphasizing how practice and preparation are important, especially when going up against his former alma mater. “First time ko silang makalaban noong Saturday, lagi ko lang din sinasabi na once nakatapat ko sila, sinisimulan ko na sa practice.”
(It was the first time that I played against them last Saturday, I always tell myself that once I face them, I will start from practice.)
With a superb 3-0 record, the Green Archers aim to maintain their unscathed run as they lock horns with the FEU Tamaraws next Friday, July 4, at 4 pm at the same venue.
The Scores
DLSU 69 – Baclaan 18, J. Cortez 11, M. Amos 10, Abadam 7, Phillips 6, M. Cortez 5, Melencio 4, Marasigan 3, Macalalag 3, Dungo 2, Nwanko 0, C. Amos 0
NU 64 – Tulabut 11, Figueroa 11, Manansala 10, Enriquez 9, Jumamoy 8, Santiago 5, Palacielo 4, Francisco 3, Parks 3, Dela Cruz 0, Solomon 0, Reyes 0, Navarro 0
Quarter Scores: 16-11, 37-26, 54-44, 69-64
