The DLSU Green Archers continue to rewrite their season’s narrative after commanding over the top-seeded NU Bulldogs, 87-77, in their pivotal UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Final Four showdown earlier today, December 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
At the forefront of La Salle’s victorious pedigree was Player of the Game EJ Gollena, who registered 11 points and three rebounds. Crown prince Jacob Cortez also stunned the Bulldogs with his 13-point and four-assist output, while Team Captain Mike Phillips shone with 12 points and 17 rebounds.
In the Bulldogs’ defeat, Jake Figueroa remained a bright spot for the front-runners as he led the game with 20 points. Backing him up was Omar John, who produced 12 markers.
Back in full strength
With either redemption or heartbreak awaiting the team, the Green Archers opened to a physical match that immediately saw the Big Dome erupt with loud cheers. While Omar John christened the matchup with a floater, Earl Abadam immediately answered with a turn-around jumper of his own and equalized at 2-all. The Lasallians then went on to display a tantalizing 7-0 run in the early minutes of the game, leaving behind the Bulldogs at 9-2. However, Nash Enriquez broke the ice for NU, delivering a dagger three-pointer of his own and assisting Paul Francisco to make back-to-back treys, trimming the deficit to 11-8. Unfazed, La Salle continued playing spoilers to the season’s powerhouse team through Jcee Macalalag, Mason Amos, and Cortez’s efforts. Kean Baclaan’s much-awaited return from his round-one injury further rattled the squandering Bulldogs. Now in full capacity, the Green Archers dominated the hardwood with Gollena’s six-point run and Luis Pablo’s five-piece buckets, closing the first quarter with a comfortable 11-point lead, 28-17.
Determined to turn the tide for their team, Kenshin Padrones, PJ Palacielo, and Jolo Manansala orchestrated a six-point dog-trot, 28-23, in the second quarter’s early minutes. However, Doy Dungo denied NU from getting closer by depositing a rare trey, 31-23. From then on, both squads capitalized every chance that they could get their hands on, but only a few were materialized. The Lasallians tightened their defensive screws while the Bulldogs executed under pressure, creating a tension-filled coliseum. As a result, fouls and turnovers became the norm; and with no hesitation, Baclaan cashed in on his chances in the charity stripe, followed by Abadam’s three-point finish, 42-33. Jake Figueroa and Enriquez continued to haggle for their top-seeded team, eventually closing in at 44-41, but it was the nearest they could get to the Green-and-White. With five seconds left in the first half, Gelo Santiago attempted a three-point shot to try and take the lead, but it was the Lasallians who successfully claimed the opening half at 48-46.
Finding their lifeline
As momentum seemed to shift toward the top seed’s side, the Green-and-White used the halftime break to recoup and adjust their defensive schemes as NU struggled to get going offensively. La Salle momentarily struggled to convert points in the opening minute until they forced a turnover that led to a Marasigan layup, 50-46. The Green Archers pounced on the opportunity with consecutive drives while keeping NU scoreless for three minutes, highlighted by Marasigan deploying an isolation play for the and-one basket, 55–46. Adding to NU’s dismay, the green shirts stole possession once again, finding Cortez for the fastbreak basket to extend the lead to double-digits. Shortly after, Manansala ended the white shirts’ scoring drought, 57-48, bringing the Sampaloc-based squad back into rhythm. Despite this, Lasallians answered back at every chance inside the paint as they kept their composure, with Baclaan knocking down his first and only field goal with a minute and a half left, 65-52. Santiago answered back, however, the Archers found another flaw in the Bulldogs’ ball possession as Gollena drove for another fastbreak layup, 67-54, to give La Salle a comfortable 13-point cushion at the end of the period.
La Salle set the tone early in the fourth quarter, relying on their big men as Phillips slammed over Figueroa to send the Lasallian faithful into a frenzy. With NU’s John in foul trouble, Pablo took advantage as he drove inside for a layup, extending the lead to 17, 71-54. However, Reinhard Jumamoy remained undeterred by the green shirts’ onslaught as he injected life into the frontliners with a 7-0 counter run, capped off by a trey from downtown to cut their deficit, 71-61. Sensing the momentum swing, Figueroa delivered a pull-up jumper but Amos answered with a triple to end the green shirt’s bleeding. Macalalag then backed him up with consecutive points to force a timeout from NU and shift the atmosphere with Lasallian cheers, 78-63. The Bulldogs came out of the break in desperation, not fretting from an Amos three, with seven straight points carried out by Figueroa, 81-72. However, Cortez once again delivered in the clutch with a crucial midrange basket, then assisted a wide open Macalalag in the corner for a triple with less than a minute to go, 86-74. Francisco retaliated with a triple from the top of the key but La Salle would secure crucial stops, followed by Phillips icing the game with a free throw at 87-77, forcing a decider.
Leading scorer Cortez reiterated his mindset, stemming from enjoying the pressure to deliver in crucial moments. He then highlighted his father, former Green Archer Mike Cortez, on taking accountability and delivering in big moments, “He’s been calling me out when I would slack off [with] my work and it would translate where I would play bad,” he reflected.
When it came to facing the league’s front-runners, Head Coach Topex Robinson revealed that his main advice to the team was to keep their composure, knowing that “they’re gonna fight back.” Following a successful extension of their series and forcing a weighty do-or-die game against NU on December 6, Robinson also contemplated their season-long grind. “It’s really been hard to make it here. It wasn’t given to us. We earned it.”
The Scores:
DLSU – Cortez 13, Phillips 12, Gollena 11, Marasigan 10, Macalalag 9, Pablo 9, Amos 8, Abadam 6, Baclaan 6, Dungo 3, Nwankwo 0
NU – Figueroa 20, John 12, Enriquez 8, Manansala 8, Jumamoy 7, Francisco 6, Palacielo 6, Parks 2, Santiago 2, Dela Cruz 0, Tulabut 0
Quarter Scores: 28-17, 48-46, 67-54, 87-77
