The DLSU Green Archers captured their first victory of the preseason after taking down the AdU Soaring Falcons, 83-69, in their NSAC College Basketball Campus Tour clash earlier today, April 18, at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Luis Pablo commanded the interior offense for the Taft-based squad with a game-high 17 points. At the same time, Janti Miller and Jacob Cortez delivered essential perimeter scoring to seal the victory, adding 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
For the opposing side, Jarl Artango and Manu Anabo paced the Adamson offense with 10 and nine points, respectively.
Shaking off the rust
Playing without Head Coach Topex Robinson, the DLSU Green Archers initially struggled to find their rhythm against the suffocating full-court pressure of the AdU Soaring Falcons. Capitalizing on the Green-and-White’s careless turnovers, Ray Allen Torres and Matt Edding spearheaded an early 12-4 blitz with quick steals and transition finishes. Cortez broke the scoring drought by knifing through the defense to draw a foul, while Team Captain Earl Abadam secured their first field goal off an offensive putback. Despite these efforts, La Salle fell behind 13 points, 21-8, after Anabo anchored the Falcons’ extended run with consecutive inside baskets. Refusing to fold, Doy Dungo sparked a late-quarter response with a massive four-point play. Miller followed up with a timely three-pointer, keeping the Archers within striking distance as they closed the opening frame trailing, 26-17.
Flipping the script in the second period, the Lasallians ramped up their defensive tenacity to orchestrate a massive comeback. DLSU dictated the tempo by forcing 24-second violations and translating defensive stops into quick transition points. Dungo and JC Macalalag slithered through the defense for quick baskets, while Mason Amos anchored the paint to steadily erase the deficit. With their backcourt defense locking down the Falcons and silencing perimeter threats like Noah Pacquiao, the Taft-based squad’s offense finally clicked. Abadam caught fire from beyond the arc, sinking back-to-back triples to reclaim the lead for La Salle, 35-34. By stringing together consecutive stops and drastically improving their ball security, the Green Archers limited AdU to just nine points in the quarter, entering the halftime break with a well-earned 41-35 cushion.
Keeping the pace
After a late lead-gaining play from the Green Archers, the second half kickstarted with JP Jonah and Amos bashing shoulders on the paint. Jonah bagged the first basket, but he was countered by Amos’ trey five seconds later. Jonah would respond again by repeating his opening play, signaling the defenders to watch out for AdU’s big man. Despite this, Jonah was subbed out shortly after, handing La Salle a better grip of their defense, 53-41. With their offensive edge gone, the Falcons hung off for three-point snipes down the court, yet to no avail. After each missed shot by Adamson, the Archers showcased a web of passes in their offense, led by point guard Cortez as he knocked down a trey and followed with back-to-back assists to EJ Gollena. With a minute left, Cortez slipped through the traffic to bag a wild two pointer as a foul tumbled him off the court. Cortez converted on his free throws, giving La Salle a 67-48 cushion heading into the final frame.
With the Lasallians carrying a massive lead, the Falcons adjusted their play from beyond the arch, spearheaded by Gabriel Obusan. With the lead cut to 10, 69-59, La Salle answered with their own streak, bagging a 6-0 point run kickstarted by Miller. However, the Falcons mirrored this play to nearly return the deficit back to the status-quo, 75-64, with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Both sides struggled to convert in the paint as they battled for rebounds. While each team managed to penetrate the defense and get inside looks, many of the attempts only grazed the rim, with DLSU ultimately capitalizing more on their limited scoring opportunities. From there, the Lasallians kept a firm grip on the game as they ran out the clock to a definitive 83-69 victory.
The DLSU Green Archers aim to take their winning momentum in their next matchup against the Mapua Cardinals tomorrow, April 19, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 83 – Pablo 17, Miller 12, Cortez 11, Abadam 10, Amos 9, Dungo 8, Melencio 8, Gollena 2, Macalalag 2, Mayuga 2, Sarmiento 2, Gagate 0
AdU 69 – Artango 10, Anabo 9, Jonah 8, Pacquiao 8, Medina 7, Obusan 5, Edding 5, Sajili 5, Demisana 4, Torres 4, Barcelona 2, Fransman 1, Perez 0, Tumaneng 0, Umali 0
Quarter Scores: 17-26, 41-35, 67-48, 83-69
