With their sights set on a Final Four berth, the DLSU Green Archers aimed their arrows against the AdU Soaring Falcons in a pivotal #UAAPSeason88 Men’s Basketball Tournament matchup but fell short in a game defined by physicality and whistles, 61-60, earlier today, November 19, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Leading the offensive attack for DLSU was Vhoris Marasigan, who tallied 15 points, with EJ Gollena also chipping in 10 points in the loss.
On the other side, John Erolon led AdU with 18 points, backed up by Cedrick Manzano, bagging 15 points.
Stunted momentum
The game opened on a cold note as both teams struggled to convert from the line with Earl Abadam and Jacob Cortez splitting their free throws early on. The Soaring Falcons briefly seized control, but Jcee Macalalag answered back, burying a three-pointer to knot the game at 8-all. While the Green Archers’ defense successfully forced turnovers and disrupted Adamson’s flow, their own offense sputtered, unable to capitalize on the extra possessions. Disaster struck early for the Taft-based squad as foul trouble mounted, sending Adamson to the penalty with 5:12 still left in the opening frame. This put the DLSU defense in a bind, though Mike Phillips managed to muscle his way inside for a tough bucket. Doy Dungo provided a late lift, sinking a triple to momentarily steal the lead, but the first quarter ended with the Falcons holding a slim 17-16 advantage.
The defensive gridlock continued into the second quarter until Macalalag fired another trey to put La Salle ahead. The intensity ramped up as Marasigan found his stride, converting free throws and a long two-pointer to keep the offense afloat, 23-20. However, the Soaring Falcons responded, keeping the score tight. Despite contributions from Gollena, who drained a three-pointer to push the score to 30-26, the Green Archers could not break away. A flurry of whistles, including a technical foul, shifted the momentum back to Adamson as they utilized their free throws to retake the lead, 33-30. Phillips and Luis Pablo attempted to salvage the half with late aggression inside but the foul-plagued Green-and-White entered the dugout trailing, 35-31.
Break down
The frame began as the crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and jeers. Tension also rose early with the Green-and-White barking at the officials. The chaos also fueled a wild back-and-forth stretch that saw Manzano score inside before Phillips could jump a passing lane for an interception. Marasigan answered with five quick points to push DLSU ahead with Macalalag intercepting the ball and converting a layup on the other end to spark an 11-0 La Salle run with 6:29 left, 42-37. AdU finally broke their silence at the line, but adjustments out of a DLSU timeout cranked up a full-court press that forced the Falcons into uncomfortable possessions as Pablo absorbed a hard foul and split at the stripe for a five-point cushion. Abadam added two more free throws, yet the game turned choppy when Pablo collapsed to the floor and Gollena hustled for a loose ball, only to miss both of his attempts. DLSU’s three-minute scoring drought finally snapped when Gollena drilled a three and drew a foul, but the highlight was overshadowed by Marasigan crumpling after Emmanuel Anabo shoved an elbow to his stomach, triggering a frenzy of whistles: an unsportsmanlike on Anabo, a technical on Adamson Coach Nash Racela, and a shooting foul. Gollena sank both the personal and technical free throw to extend the lead to 50-45. The quarter closed with Erolon’s half-court heave falling short as La Salle carried a five-point edge into the final frame.
The Green Archers opened the fourth quarter with a burst of defensive fire, immediately forcing a 24-second violation that electrified the Lasallian faithful. Adamson refused to fold as the teams traded blows in a tense, possession-by-possession duel. Despite a flurry of whistles and physical plays followed with Manzano’s unsportsmanlike elbow on Phillips, Torres calmly answered at the line but Pablo muscled inside for an and-one basket to briefly tilt the momentum green. Yet the Archers’ multiple offensive rebounds still could not translate into points as Erolon stunned the crowd with a silencing three, sparking a mini run capped by a Manzano jumper for a 57-53 cushion. Abadam attempted to breathe life back into La Salle with a smooth elbow pull-up, only for AdU’s Mathew Montebon to respond instantly with a tough baseline jumper and later a fading dagger that pushed the Falcons ahead as they entered the final stretch, 61-55 . La Salle’s defense clamped down the Falcons, forcing another 24-second violation, but a loose ball that slipped out of bounds doomed a much-needed stop before Cortez floated in a difficult shot to trim the lead to four with 35 seconds left. Chaos then erupted as Abadam stole the ball from their side of the court and buried a cold-blooded three to bring DLSU within one, 61-60, then followed up with a Pablo block. Abadam swiped another crucial steal yet his final heave from the deep fell short, sealing a heart-pounding, high-octane finish in favor of the Soaring Falcons.
With two games left, their Final Four ticket is still within reach. The six-all Green Archers now shift their attention to a crucial matchup with new-age rivals, the UP Fighting Maroons this Saturday, November 22, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU – Marasigan 15, Gollena 10, Macalalag 8, Pablo 7, Phillips 7, Abadam 5, Cortez 5, Dungo 3, Gomez 0, Nwankwo 0
AdU – Erolon 18, Manzano 15, Montebon 10, Fransman 7, Torres 6, Anabo 3, Ojarikre 2, Barcelona 0, Demisana 0, Jaymalin 0, Medina 0, Perez 0, A. Ronzone 0, C. Ronzone 0
Quarter scores: 16-17, 31-35, 50-45, 60-61
