In their continued search for a maiden victory, the DLSU Lady Archers let their early edge slip away as they ultimately conceded to the defending champions, the NU Lady Bulldogs, 86-68, in their UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Tournament Round One encounter earlier today, October 12, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Pauline Anastacio’s efforts raised the banner for the Green-and-White as the leading scorer with 14 points and eight rebounds. Kyla Go followed closely to mount 12 points, six boards, and two assists.
Kristine Cayabyab and Marga Villanueva were NU’s offensive juggernauts with 18 and 15 points, respectively. Meanwhile, Angel Surada added a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.
All gas, then stall
The Lady Archers came out with solid energy in the opening of the first quarter, despite NU’s Samantha Medina breaking the ice with a bank shot, 2-0. In a series of early physical exchanges and mid-range jumpers, the scoreboard saw frequent deadlocks in the early game. DLSU briefly found their offensive rhythm behind buckets from Tricia Mendoza and a three-pointer from Zyla Lubrico, grabbing a 13-8 lead for La Salle midway through. Sunga’s field goal and Lubrico’s turnaround jumper helped keep the offense alive, while Villarin converted two free throws to keep DLSU slightly ahead, while NU remained within striking distance, 19-17. However, cracks began to show as the Lady Bulldogs responded with timely plays from Surada and Cayabyab, capitalizing on La Salle’s turnovers and rushed possessions. After trading more free throws and inside finishes, the opening quarter closed with Cayabyab’s forced jumper and Villanueva misfiring from deep, leaving La Salle clinging to a narrow 21-20 lead.
The tide shifted in the second quarter as La Salle’s offense stalled, while NU ramped up their defensive intensity. A technical foul on Villarin allowed Betanio to tie the game at 21-all from the charity stripe, and from there, the Lady Bulldogs began pulling away from their flat start. Cayabyab’s short-range shot finally gave NU the lead, and Pingol extended it further with a pair of free throws and a bucket, 26-21. Though Anastacio and Mendoza briefly kept the Green-and-White within striking distance through mid-range baskets, the Bulldogs’ response was sharp; Solis scored off a Pingol dime, and Betanio added another jumper to tally a wider margin, 34-27. The Lady Archers struggled to convert open looks, missing a Medina three and a Mendoza free throw, as the Bulldogs steadily built their advantage. A composed NU stretch capped by Cayabyab’s pair of free throws and a Villanueva putback extended the deficit to 38-27. As the Archers trailed, tensions flared: a heated exchange between Go and Cayabyab caused a stoppage and resulted in technical free throws, which the defending champs converted to push their score to 42-27. The Lady Archers salvaged a few points from the stripe, but by halftime, they were clearly outpaced by the Lady Bulldogs’ poise and control on both ends of the floor, trailing 44-29.
Bitter bite
DLSU rushed into the third period with intentions of keeping up with the pace set by NU. Evident in the play of Lasallian guard Aiesha Dizon, as she opened the quarter with a hard-earned trip to the charity stripe. The rest followed suit, going on a run that was capped off by a shot from beyond the arc from Anastacio. However, the Lasallian elation was short-lived as NU answered right away with a four-point play, setting the scoreline at 48-34. Both squads amped up the intensity, resulting in a scoring drought halfway through the quarter. As the game rolled, fouls ran rampant, holding teams to a cautious style of play. The blue shirts used the pace to their advantage as they drained a pair of three-point bombs and a flurry of attacks in the low block, highlighted by Angel Surada’s physicality and finesse, ballooning NU’s advantage to 26 at the three-minute mark, 66-40. To answer tenaciously, Go converted on an and-one bucket. Penalty struck both sides approaching the end of the quarter, which was capped off by a Lasallian fast break, 66-46.
Both sides picked up where they left off, trading buckets to start the fourth quarter. La Salle capitalized on NU’s clumsy play and slowly tipped the game into their favor. To put an end to DLSU’s brewing momentum, Surada once again led the Lady Bulldogs’ charge by scoring on back-to-back shots, this time supported by Kristine Cayabyab and Marga Villanueva, chipping in with their own personal runs to hand DLSU their largest deficit of the game at 84-55 with five minutes left. A late surge of mid-range jumpers and layups by Lasallians Delos Reyes and Luise Dela Paz forced the hand of the Lady Bulldogs to call a timeout. In the twilight zone, the game came down to the charity stripe, pinning the match at 86-68 as the defending champions came away with the comfortable victory.
The DLSU Lady Booters’ next challenge will be against the UE Lady Warriors, as both teams look to claim their first win on Wednesday, October 15, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Scores
DLSU 68 – Anastacio 14, Go 12, Delos Reyes 10 Mendoza 8, Lubrico 5, Villarin 5, Camba 4, Sunga 4, A. Dizon 2, Dela Paz 2, S. Dizon 2, Araza 0, Villapando 0, Catalan 0
NU 86 – Cayabyab 18, Villanueva 15, Surada 14, Betanio 8, S. Medina 8, Solis 6, D. Medina 6, Pingol 5, Pring 2, Alterado 2, Garcia 2, Canindo 0, Ico 0
Quarter Scores: 21-20, 29-44, 46-66, 68-86
