In a nail-biting match that came down to the wire, the DLSU Green Archers fell short in a heartbreaking 84-83 defeat at the hands of the FEU Tamaraws in their UAAP Men’s Basketball Round Two matchup. The game saw back and forth battles, encompassed by determination and resolve, as both teams shot the lights out earlier today, November 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Earl Abadam led all scorers in the match as he logged 18 points with four three-pointers, while Jcee Macalalag and Mike Phillips contributed 14 points each in the loss.
On the other end of the court, Janrey Pasaol put up 17 points for the Tamaraws, backed up by Mo Konateh’s 14 and Jorick Bautista’s 12 markers.
Contrasting strategy
The game started physically as the Green-and-White secured early defensive stops with Bright Nwankwo at the helm. However, Konateh made his presence felt, opening up the game for FEU with an easy basket in the paint, 2-0. The Green Archers glued their defense, sticking to the Tamaraws and contesting their shots as both teams traded baskets midway through the first. Abadam then lit fire early on, drilling back-to-back corner treys, putting the lead up at 8-6 early into the quarter as FEU could only convert from the charity stripe. Nwankwo also chimed in with his gritty hustle, nabbing steals and dishing passes as most of DLSU’s points came from floaters from the dribble-drive and open threes. This was exemplified yet again with Abadam knocked down his third three, continuing to light it up beyond the arc and incrementally adding on to the lead to 15-11 with under two minutes left. Despite FEU’s playstyle in the paint that led to layups by Pasaol to break even, Macalalag closed off the quarter with another floater as DLSU ended the first on top, 19-16.
DLSU continued to attack with floaters and threes as the second quarter commenced, however, FEU still blew the lid off the Green Archers’ paint as Konateh’s statement dunk closed in on the lead, 22-20. Abadam, sustaining his hot hand, answered by drilling his fourth three-pointer as Nwankwo breathed fresh air into the paint, immediately making his presence known with blocks and contests. The Archers fired on with Jacob Cortez leading the way, handling plays which led to back-to-back slam dunks by Nwankwo, capitalizing on FEU’s poor defense. Despite the momentum, DLSU eventually grew complacent as sloppy passes led to turnovers. With the tables turned, the Tamaraws orchestrated a late 11-2 scoring run, dismantling La Salle’s paint defense with three-pointers by Jedric Daa and Luke Felipe as the Taft-based squad could only quell the run with a Rhyle Melencio floater as the white shirts trailed, 46-36, heading into the second half.
Last-minute misery
DLSU barged into the third with immediate intensity as Cortez stoked fire for the Lasallian offense. His versatility shone as he created for himself and the rest of the squad, cutting the lead to three, 48-45. Multiple unsportsmanlike calls and warnings throughout the quarter instigated the crowd. After an exchange of baskets from both teams, Pasaol’s pursuant scoring kept FEU afloat. Lasallian elation finally arrived as Macalalag dropped a trey to take the lead, 55-54. Striving to break La Salle’s zone defense, Bautista took matters into his own hands as he went on a personal six-point run, forcing DLSU to call timeout at the two-minute mark, 60-55. Offenses erupted soon after a mixed bag of perimeter shots from Macalalag and inside attacks from Phillips were answered by none other than Bautista and Pasaol. The quarter concluded with a pair of Doy Dungo free throws to bring the scoreline, 67-64, keeping the Lasallians within striking distance.
La Salle’s impressive adjustments on defense carried on in the final quarter, forcing the Tamaraws out of their comfort zone as they went scoreless in the first two minutes. Both squads emptied their clips as they kept swinging, refusing to hand the lead over. Themes of mid-ranged threats filled the court as team captain Abadam knocked down a couple to hold the Archers steady, while the offensive juggernauts guards charged for the Tamaraws. Pasaol’s continued sweet shooting stroke granted FEU the lead, 80-77. Following a timeout by Green Archers Head Coach Topex Robinson, chaos ensued as inside markers were traded by Kirby Mongcopa and Macalalag. The tide drastically shifted toward La Salle as Cortez successfully drew a charge, earning the possession. As the Green-and-White entered the twilight zone trailing, pressure fell onto Luis Pablo’s shoulders and he quickly answered with a pair of cold-blooded buckets, momentarily securing the lead for La Salle, 83-82. The Tamaraws immediately answered back with a perfectly orchestrated forward pass from Pasaol that handed Mongcopa a dagger to put the game away. What closely followed was a frenzy of helter skelter plays and missed opportunities, the final missed attempt came in the form of a Macalalag three-pointer. With the crowd’s sighs and groans echoing heartbreak, La Salle fell short of victory, 84-83.
With close games such as this, every single aspect counts, all going down to the smallest of details. Green Archers’ leading scorer Abadam underlined crucial details in a post-game interview conducted by The LaSallian: “Honestly, we could’ve capitalized more on our ball pressure, on our defense, converting our stops into points in the break, we couldn’t convert in the last seconds and we let them into the game too much to run their sets in the end,” Abadam reflected.
Following consecutive defeats, the Green Archers set their sights on breaking their losing skid as they square off against the AdU Soaring Falcons this Wednesday, November 19, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 83 – Abadam 18, Macalalag 14, Phillips 14, Pablo 11, Cortez 10, Dungo 4, Gollena 4, Nwankwo 4, Melencio 2, Quines 2
FEU 84 – Pasaol 17, Konateh 14, Bautista 12, Daa 10, Mongcopa 10, Felipe 9, Montemayor 7, Owens 5, Jones 0, Ona 0
Quarter Scores: 19-16, 46-36, 67-64, 84-83
