The third day of the UAAP Women’s 3×3 Tournament saw split results for the DLSU Lady Archers against defending champions ADMU Blue Eagles and the UP Fighting Maroons, earlier tonight, April 30, at the Homecourt in Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
The Lady Archers dropped their first assignment against the Blue Eagles, 19-12, before bouncing back in their second outing with a 19-14 win over the Fighting Maroons.
Misfired arrows
Eager to establish a foothold in a tough two-game stretch, Kyla Go set the pace early for the Lady Archers, piercing the interior defense for a quick 4-1 lead. However, Ateneo quickly countered behind Kai Oani, who sparked a reversal with a two-pointer and an inside finish to tie the game at 4-all. Kacey Dela Rosa then took control inside, converting back-to-back putbacks to give the Blue Eagles a 6-4 edge. Tricia Mendoza and Go answered to force a 6-all deadlock, but Ateneo’s outside shooting began to click as Hannah Lopez and Oani knocked down long-range shots to push the white shirts ahead, 11-8.
With Lasallian cheers echoing in the Homecourt powering the team, the Green-and-White stayed within reach behind strong finishes from the paint, trimming the deficit to 14-11. However, Ateneo’s ball movement continued to create open looks, with Oani attacking in transition and Hannah Lopez draining another long bomb to widen the gap, 17-11. Mendoza scored another basket for the Lady Archers as time began to wind down, but Dela Rosa remained a steady presence, adding a midrange jumper to bring Ateneo up, 18-12, and sealing the game for the Katipunan-based squad at the charity stripe with a 19-12 victory as the defending champions’ efficient shooting and quick execution proved decisive down the final stretch.
Momentum restored
On their second stint—this time against UP—the matchup opened with both sides locked in a defensive stalemate, as scoring took time to come by under heavy pressure on the perimeter and in the paint. Louna Ozar eventually broke through for Fighting Maroons, but Go immediately answered with an and-one play to steady the Lady Archers, keeping momentum early in a tight exchange that saw the lead swing back and forth at 3-all. Both squads traded short bursts with Shane Cunanan’s long-range hit for the Diliman-based squad. But Go’s inside scoring fueled the match for La Salle and was coupled with free throws, while Eli Delos Reyes anchored the DLSU defense with key stops, including a shot-clock violation forced on the maroon shirts that disrupted their rhythm.
As the game tightened into a possession-by-possession battle, the Green-and-White’s defense improved from its previous outing, consistently slowing the maroon shirts’ plays and limiting clean looks for Ozar. Go continued to attack the interior efficiently while also converting from the line to help La Salle regain control, 11-8. Marielle Vingno’s persistence kept UP within striking distance, but the Lady Archers maintained composure, with Go pushing the tempo and Sunga adding a key-assisted basket to stretch the lead to 15-11. An unsportsmanlike foul on Cunanan in the final stretch proved costly, as Delos Reyes calmly sank both free throws to seal the 19-14 victory for La Salle, ending a three-game skid to close out the third day of competition.
The Taft-based squad will look to build on their momentum as they face the top-seeded UST Golden Tigresses tomorrow, May 1, at the same venue.
