The DLSU Green Archers held off a gritty fourth-quarter comeback attempt from the NU Bulldogs, 89-87, in their opening game of the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament earlier today, September 13, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Rookie Joaquin Tovera spearheaded the Green-and-White offense in his dream debut, erupting for a game-high 22 points and three steals on 8-of-14 shooting. Luis Pablo and Doy Dungo added 16 and 12 points, respectively.
On the other hand, the Blue-and-Gold’s Tebol Garcia and Kenshin Padrones paced the squad with 14 points apiece, keeping the Jhocson-based squad within striking distance in the final quarter.
Setting the pace
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In front of a blistering crowd at the Big Dome, the Green Archers and Bulldogs traded baskets early, with neither side gaining separation. Padrones attacked the paint for the Sampaloc-based squad, while Jacob Cortez kept La Salle within striking distance before Mason Amos buried a triple to tie at 7-all. The blue-and-gold side kept answering DLSU’s baskets, but Mo Kulang’s offensive board set up Dungo for a putback before the latter knocked down a floater to level the game at 13-all. Dungo then drained an open three to put the Green-and-White ahead, 19-16.
Tovera soon made his UAAP debut felt, scoring his first points immediately with a tough finish in the paint before following it up with a steal and finish to give La Salle a 26-20 cushion. Vince Reyes split a pair of free throws before Tovera converted a midrange jumper. Reyes answered with an open triple to put NU within four, but the rookie capped his strong opening frame with a three-point play to send the defending champions into the second quarter ahead, 31-24.
Riding on early momentum, Padrones opened the second frame with a floater, but Pablo quickly answered with a basket of his own. Reyes scored off a PJ Palacielo assist before Pablo converted twice more, with a basket dished from J. Cortez, as the Taft-based squad stretched its lead to 37-28. Although Reyes responded with a midrange jumper, Pablo’s interior attacks kept the defending champions ahead, 39-30.
Scrambling to find an answer to the Green-and-White’s defense, Mo Diassana converted a putback while Amos answered with a middy. Palacielo scored inside the paint, but Earl Abadam responded quickly with a spin move and a midrange jumper to extend the white shirts’ lead to double digits, 45-34. After another Palacielo putback, J. Cortez converted an and-one to make it 48-36. Another new face, Mikey Cortez, then capitalized on a loose ball. Padrones answered, together with Reinhard Jumamoy’s triple to cut the deficit to nine, while Tovera continued his impressive debut with a crafty spin and finish. Garcia closed the gap for the Bulldogs with a basket as DLSU entered the latter part of the half ahead, 52-45.
Bending but not breaking
Despite a sloppy offensive start to the third frame, the Green-and-White anchored themselves on suffocating defense. NU’s Paul Francisco trimmed the deficit to 52-48, but J. Cortez jumped the passing lanes for a steal to convert two free throws. The Bulldogs relentlessly pounded the offensive glass, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities to keep the game closely contested at 57-54. However, La Salle’s hustle shifted the momentum. Kulang disrupted a transition play for an offensive putback, while JC Macalalag finished a fastbreak steal to reignite the Lasallian crowd, 61-54. Following a tense review of a hard foul on Kulang, head coach Topex Robinson kept his squad composed, translating the energy into a full-court press that forced a 24-second shot clock violation. Tovera then took over, drawing an unsportsmanlike foul before sinking a long-range bomb to halt NU’s momentum and give the Taft-based squad a 73-64 cushion heading into the final frame.
La Salle kept their foot on the gas to open the fourth quarter. Anchored by Seven Gagate’s rim protection and Cortez’s active hands, the Green Archers stifled the Bulldogs’ offense. A leak-out layup from Pablo pushed the advantage to 14 points, 78-64, forcing an NU timeout. The Bulldogs refused to roll over, as Francisco ignited a quick scoring burst with a triple and a dunk, exposing La Salle’s transition defense. As the Green Archers’ offense ran dry, consecutive inside baskets from Jumamoy further trimmed the gap. Facing immense pressure in crunch time, Abadam delivered consecutive crucial baskets, hitting a corner triple and a mid-range jumper to provide necessary breathing room, 85-77.
The Bulldogs capitalized on late Lasallian dry spells, using a backdoor cut and a crucial and-one from Garcia to cut the deficit to one, 85-84. With exactly a minute remaining, Cortez calmly found Dungo for a clutch perimeter shot, extending the lead to 88-84. The final moments descended into chaos. Jumamoy secured a quick layup to make it a one-point game, 88-87, leaving only six seconds on the clock. Forced to foul, NU sent Cortez to the line, where he uncharacteristically missed both free throws. However, Mason Amos emerged as the clutch hero, securing a massive offensive rebound and sinking a split free throw; 89-87, he rescued the team from a complete collapse. In the final possession, La Salle’s defense held firm, contesting a low-percentage heave from the Bulldogs to survive the thriller and secure their season debut victory.
After their opening-day victory, Robinson stressed that the Green Archers remain focused on pursuing another championship rather than simply resting on last season’s title: “Just like everybody else, we’re also trying to get the championship. We’re not defending it from happening. Everybody now is trying to get a piece of the pie,” Robinson said.
Still, Robinson emphasized that the team is not focusing solely on the result. Instead, La Salle aims to maintain the same competitiveness that allowed it to survive NU’s late rally in its season opener. “Our vision is to be the best team. We don’t know if it’s going to be a championship for us, but just knowing in our heart of hearts that we’re always going to give our best,” Robinson stated.
Robinson also lauded rookie Tovera’s approach in his collegiate debut, pointing to his willingness to learn. “What really kind of stood out is the way he’s really approachable. He was asking questions, especially to the veterans and other coaches,” Robinson said. “We don’t have to force him to do that, but he was the one asking those questions, and that’s really huge for us,” he added.
The Green Archers shift their focus to their game against the UST Growling Tigers as they aim to stack victories and gain momentum on Wednesday, September 16, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 89 – Tovera 22, Pablo 16, Dungo 12, Abadam 9, J. Cortez 9, Amos 6, Daep 4, Macalalag 3, M. Cortez 2, Gagate 2, Kulang 2, Marasigan 2, Sardon 0
NU 87 – Garcia 14, Padrones 14, Diassana 12, Palacielo 10, Jumamoy 9, Francisco 8, Reyes 8, Alfanta 5, Laconsay 5, Cartel 2, Figueroa 0, Solomon 0, Tulabut 0
Quarter Scores: 31-24, 52-45, 73-64, 89-87
