In a matchup that proved every trilogy needs a complicated second act, the DLSU Green Archers concede Game Two of the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Finals to the defending champions, UP Fighting Maroons, 66-63, in a neck-and-neck battle earlier tonight, December 14, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Beneath the limelight of the Fighting Maroons’ prowess were Gerry Abadiano’s 17-point outing, Francis Nnoruka’s 13-point drive, and Rey Remogat’s three-point machine that saw him chip in 12 marks.
In a gallant effort, Floor General Jacob Cortez blazed the trail for La Salle with 16 points, while Luis Pablo carried 12 points for the title-seeking team.
No margin for error
As Game One was about who struck first, Game Two is about who remembers why they are here. With that in mind, the DLSU Green Archers wasted no time setting the tone against the defending champions, opening the match with sharp execution and defensive intensity to make another 7-0 run, similar to their Finals Game One opener. After forcing an early UP turnover, Earl Abadam claimed the game’s first basket with a fastbreak. The crowd immediately fed off the energy, and even more after Cortez knocked down a ringing trey, followed by a thunderous Mike Phillips slam to tally seven. The empty handed Iskos struggled to find their rhythm, until Nnoruka finally broke through with a hard-fought bucket, 7-2. While Remogat drilled a three to spark the Fighting Maroons, 9-5, the Lasallians continued to dictate the pace with steady scoring and tight defense. Even with Nnoruka’s offensive flow, the titleholders could not contain Vhoris Marasigan, Pablo, and EJ Gollena’s explosive pointmaking, allowing La Salle to hold firm control of the first quarter at 20-13.
Set on defending their opening-quarter lead, the rock-ribbed Cortez christened the second canto with a mid-range shot, 22-13, instantly making the first half’s biggest lead for the Archers. However, UP began to show signs of life. Abadiano and Remogat sank back-to-back resounding threes to slowly increase their offensive pressure, 24-21. Every possession began to feel heavier than the last as La Salle continued to look for shots from deep, while UP leaned on interior scoring led by Nnoruka and Abadiano. However, the latter displayed more success in their tactic as the Maroons’ persistence paid off, introducing the first deadlock of the match, 27-all. The equalizer forced La Salle to call a timeout to figure out their place in the momentum shift. The deadlock held out for a minute before the Fighting Maroons grabbed the opportunity and, in turn, created a 6-point lead against the scrambling Lasallians, 33-27. When the second half shrank to a minute and the roles blurred, Doy Dungo fired from the deep to make 33-30. La Salle attempted to respond to UP’s sudden control, but Jcee Macalalag’s left drive and Phillips’ split free-throw were insufficient against the defending champs’ surge, heading into the halftime break with a 35-33 shortfall.
Championship grit
As the second half kicked off, defensive schemes became key in the physical battle between the challengers, with the Maroons deploying their zone while the Archers brought out their press. Gani Stevens drew first for UP, however, through scrappy sequences, Macalalag responded with a putback layup, 37-35. The defending champions’ systems forced the white shirts to turn over but to no avail as they struggled to capitalize on the offensive end. The Lasallian big men remained active in grabbing boards, which was awarded by Cortez as he drilled in a midranged bucket for a 37-all deadlock. However, La Salle would run into a dry spell as the Maroons’ shots began to fall, retaking the lead, courtesy of Harold Alarcon and Stevens. At the quarter’s halfway point, Pablo injected energy back into La Salle, forcing contact with his basket, 41-39. With neither side unwilling to give an edge, the new-age rivals locked horns in a back-and-forth duel with Maroon Captain Abadiano answering potential tone shifters from the Archers, 49-45. With a minute and a half remaining, Phillips went to work and attacked the paint for consecutive split trips to the line, 49-47. The dying seconds of the period saw Dungo attempt an isolation for the tie, but was stripped as UP held onto the advantage heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter gave witness to a battle of resolve as the maroon shirts looked to keep their season alive while the white shirts gunned for the sweep. Pablo once again displayed his intensity as he successfully battled for boards and anchored La Salle’s defense. However, the Fighting Maroons were able to adjust and stay composed as Remogat drilled in consecutive stepback treys despite a midrange retaliation from Cortez, 55-51. La Salle adjusted their schemes, locking down the opposition while Pablo and Marasigan delivered on the other end to tie the game at 55-all. With momentum on their side, the Taft-based squad followed through with a turnover as Cortez was found for the easy fastbreak lay to put DLSU ahead at 57-55, urging UP to call for a timeout. With emotions rampant through a high stakes game, Reyland Torres was called for a technical foul for initiating unnecessary contact from the dead ball after a foul to Alarcon. As the quarter went past the five-minute mark, pressure began to creep up with every possession requiring championship decisions. The Fighting Maroons’ experience at this stage bore fruit as they stripped Marasigan then retook the lead with an inside basket from Stevens, 59-58. The Lasallians drew contact by attacking the paint, however their flaws from the line would prevent them from capitalizing as Abadiano punished the white shirts with successive midrange baskets, 63-60. Marasigan momentarily made amends with an heavily-guarded acrobatic layup, but a hot-handed Abadiano struck once again to maintain their lead with less than a minute to go. UP’s emotions ran high once more as another unsportsmanlike foul from Sean Alter sent Cortez to the line for a rare opportunity, 65-63. La Salle would follow up with a crucial stop on the surging Abadiano, leading to an isolation play by Marasigan. With the game on the line, the Lasallian wing attempted a go-ahead three that went in-and-out as Nnoruka grabbed the deciding rebound to send him to the line. UP’s FSA would split his bonus shots but this was enough to seal a decider for the defending champions, 66-63.
Dealt with another decider for the championship, the Green Archers’ leading scorer Cortez reflected on UP’s schemes as well as Jacob Bayla’s assignment that proved to be effective in containing him after his Game One performance, “Today was actually getting a feel. They dropped into a zone and caught us off guard.” The guard, also filled with experience in a championship do-or-die, expressed his mindset going into the final matchup, carrying the “win or go home” mentality as he looked to parallel the Maroons aggressiveness with all to play for in Game Three.
In a Finals series defined by history, this Game Two asked a simple question of “who wants their ending more?” For La Salle Head Coach Topex Robinson, a championship is something that should be earned, and today, UP was the more aggressive team. “We saw they didn’t want to end it,” he lamented.
As both teams look to complete the trilogy triumphant on Wednesday, December 17, 3:30 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Coach Robinson calls on the Lasallian faithful to hold on to their championship hopes, “That’s the beauty of winning Game One, you give yourself a chance to win the championship…We just have to be more patient about it.”
The Scores:
DLSU – Cortez 16, Pablo 12, Marasigan 8, Phillips 8, Macalalag 7, Abadam 4, Dungo 3, Gollena 3, Amos 2, Baclaan 0, Daep 0, Nwankwo 0
UP – Abadiano 17, Nnoruka 13, Remogat 12, Stevens 8, Bayla 6, Alarcon 5, Felicilda 3, Fortea 2, Alter 0, Belmonte 0, Torres 0
Quarter Scores: 20-13, 33-35, 47-49, 63-66
