The DLSU Green Archers outlasted the AdU Soaring Falcons with a nail-biting opening bid of the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament, 60-58, earlier tonight, September 20, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Team captain Michael Phillips soared through the night as he led the Green Archers with 17 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. Jacob Cortez showcased a monumental debut, chipping in 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while rookie forward Lebron Daep contributed eight points and three boards in the Green-and-White’s first win of the season.
On the other side of the court, Cedrick Manzano pushed Adamson with 19 points and nine rebounds, while John Erolon added 10 points, six rebounds, and four dimes for the Falcons.
On the prowl
With the Taft-based squad’s unfortunate finish last season, the DLSU Green Archers stepped on the court hungry for a win. As the ball soared up, the Green-and-White were quick to set the pace, as Cortez and Phillips combined for the team’s first five points, 5-2. The Green-and-White bolstered their defenses and amped up their tempo, as the Falcons played on shaky ground. Still and all, Manzano pushed for momentum to end the Archers’ run and give AdU an 11-9 lead. With three minutes on the clock, the Soaring Falcons strengthened their defenses to lead at 14-9, forcing the Archers to play against their pace. Fresh off the bench, Lebron Daep drained an easy three, 14-12, threatening Adamson’s lead. In their hopes of ending the quarter with the upper hand, La Salle scrambled for the ball. However, Adamson read through their plays and closed the first quarter ahead, 18-15.
After a shaky end to the first quarter, consecutive fouls to Vhoris Marasigan tied both teams at 18-all, and both teams struggled to grapple for the ball. Under pressure, Jcee Macalalag sent a clean pass, opening up Cortez for a dunk to close in on the lead, 22-20. In an attempt to gain control, the Archers amped up the physicality, but Cortez would find Phillips cutting in, setting the latter for a slam to widen the gap, 26-22. In hopes of halting La Salle’s momentum, Ray Allen Torres converted on a two-pointer, but was immediately answered by a barrage from the Archers, 30-24. With two minutes left on the shot clock, the Green-and-White increased their intensity, ending the second period with a dunk from Bright Nwankwo off a Baclaan hand-off, 33-25.
Clutch shot making
After a slugfest first half, the DLSU Green Archers opened the third quarter ice-cold. Rookie forward Daep snapped the drought with a corner triple, halting Adamson’s scoring run at 36-31. Despite fielding in both Cortez and Baclaan, La Salle struggled to put points in the basket. While Phillips rested on the bench, Manzano pounced inside the paint to tie the game up at 41-all. With all the momentum on the Falcons, Ray Allen Torres scored a layup to snatch a 43-41. But Cortez took back the lead with a tough jumper from the stripe to establish a 44-43 game. DLSU’s defense went up a notch and forced a turnover from Adamson; Phillips stole the ball, scored a layup in transition for a three-point play that led to 47-43. Refusing to back down as the clock ticked away, Cortez banked in a jumper for La Salle before the clock expired, keeping DLSU ahead, 49-46.
To start the final quarter, it was a seesaw battle with both teams emphasizing their defensive capabilities. Despite this, AdU found a way to erase the lead of the green shirts, using Manzano to attract a double team and executing good ball-movement to find open three-pointers from the corner to take the lead, 56-53.
With time winding down, Cortez came in clutch down the stretch, asserting his experience on both ends, attacking the defense of the Soaring Falcons with back-to-back layups to take the lead, 57-56, then taking a charge from Torres to force a turnover. In the dying seconds of the game, Cortez found Amos on the left wing as the latter drilled in a dagger three-pointer to seal the game for the Green-and-White, 60-56. Despite Adamson’s last-minute basket, Cortez calmly dribbled out the clock as the Green-and-White escaped with their first win of the season, 60-58.
Coach Robinson praised Adamson’s grit after the close contest, noting how the Falcons dictated the game’s tempo: “I think for [the] teams, we’re underestimating Adamson, [but] they always give us a good fight wherever we play.” He then added how he saw through Adamson’s tactic and used it to their advantage: “We were right where they wanted us to be. And, again, that’s just the start of our season, still a work to be done–a lot of challenges amongst these guys.”
Team captain Phillips expressed his joy and acknowledged Adamson as a tough competitor, echoing Coach Robinson’s thoughts on the Falcons as underdogs while looking inwards, “There’s a lot of things we have to work on, but I think the biggest thing that we need to do is just trust each other.”
The DLSU Green Archers continue to sharpen their arrows as they face off the UST Growling Tigers next Saturday, September 27, at 4:30 pm, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU 60 – Phillips 17, Cortez 16, Daep 8, Amos 6, Marasigan 3, Gollena 3, Abadam 2, Dungo 2, Nwanko 2, Baclaan 1, Macalalag 0, Pablo 0, Gomez 0
AdU 58 – Manzano 19, Erolon 10, Torres 8, Fransman 5, Medina 5, Ojarikre 4, Perez 4, Tumaneng 2, Anabo 1, Monetebon 0, Demisana 0, Barcelona 0, C. Ronzone 0, A. Ronzone 0
Quarter Scores: 15-18, 33-25, 49-46, 60-58
