The DLSU Green Archers ended their two-game losing streak by outclassing the UE Red Warriors, 112-87, in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament earlier today, October 4, at the PhilSports Arena.
Mason Amos led the Taft-based squad’s resurgence with a team-high 19 points, along with five rebounds and four assists. Supplying crucial offensive support, Jacob Cortez and Henry Agunnane chipped in with 15 and 11 markers, respectively, helping the Green Archers notch their second win of the season.
On the opposing end, Tope Lagat paced the Red Warriors with 30 points, backed up by Gene Carillo, who tallied 12 markers as the Recto-based squad absorbed the loss.
Early dominance
Head coach Topex Robinson tweaked his starting five to establish a much-needed rebounding and defensive tone from the opening tip. The adjustment immediately paid dividends as JC Macalalag sparked the La Salle offense with early perimeter pressure to tie the game at 2-all. Inside the paint, Agunnane plugged the Green-and-White’s previous rebounding vulnerabilities, securing crucial second-chance points to fuel a quick surge capped by Cortez’s triple for a 9-2 cushion. Despite Carillo keeping the Red Warriors within striking distance against a newly deployed Lasallian zone, the Green Archers’ second unit provided a seamless transition of power. Luis Pablo injected immediate hustle, hauling offensive boards and drawing fouls to anchor a strong closing run. A tough triple from Joaquin Tovera capped off the first period, 31-19.
La Salle’s relentless two-way execution carried over into the second frame. Doy Dungo made his presence felt instantly with a reverse layup and a momentum-shifting three-pointer to counter Colby Vasquez’s perimeter shooting. Capitalizing on consecutive stops anchored by Seven Gagate’s rim protection, J. Cortez pushed the pace with a fluid transition offense, finding Amos for a triple that stretched the lead to 15, 43-28, sending the Lasallian crowd into a frenzy and forcing a UE timeout. The Red Warriors struggled to solve the continuous half-court pressure and coughed up unforced errors that the Green Archers swiftly punished. Mikey Cortez and Guillian Quines joined the scoring barrage off the bench, dissecting any form of defense that the opposition threw at them, and allowing DLSU to enter the halftime break with a commanding 61-42 advantage.
Exclamation point
The Green Archers’ domination resumed in the third quarter, continuing with a Dungo snatch that Pablo converted in the fast break. The Recto-based squad struggled offensively, with Lagat as the only bright spot, dragging the UE offense with back-to-back baskets to cut the Green-and-White lead below 20. However, his efforts proved fruitless as Lebron Daep’s inside shot sparked a 9-0 La Salle run, pushing the lead back up to 23. The green and red shirts continued to lock horns until the rookie duo of Tovera and Gagate put on an offensive masterclass late in the third, concluding with Tovera’s double spin cycle, further accentuating the Lasallian lead with eight straight points. Amos drained a triple to close the quarter, allowing DLSU to hold a commanding 89-65 lead.
Vasquez drew first blood for the Red Warriors in the final period, trying to show signs of life. Amos continued his dominant outing with a hook shot in response, only to be answered by Kean Dungca’s long bomb. With the score at 91-70, Tovera and Abadam traded five-point runs with Mo Tanedo. The scoring deadlock broke when the Cortez brothers tacked on five more points for the Taft-based squad, with M. Cortez’s flyby three and J. Cortez’s charity stripe buckets. Tanedo and Dungca tried to keep the Recto-based offense alive with a mid-range jumper and a three-pointer, pulling the score to 103-80, but the Green Archers answered them bucket for bucket for the rest of the fourth quarter. Free throws from big man Agunanne and newcomer Ram Sharma put the game to bed, with La Salle taking home a much-needed dub, 112-87.
Refusing to be weighed down by their recent skid, the Green Archers treated their past losses as a necessary recalibration. Instead of buckling under the pressure of protecting their crown, Robinson shifted the team’s attention inward to restore their competitive rhythm. “Just like everybody else, we’re also trying to get the championship. We’re not defending it from happening,” Robinson shared.
By focusing on internal execution rather than expectations, La Salle established their own pace and played freely. “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,” he added.
Amos noted that surviving the grueling season requires an unwavering commitment to getting stops, explaining that team defense dictates their offensive flow. “I think the focal point defensively is what we have to focus on,” Amos asserted.
The DLSU Green Archers aim to build on this bounce-back victory as they prepare to take on archrivals ADMU Blue Eagles on Wednesday, October 7, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 112 – Amos 19, J. Cortez 15, Agunanne 11, M. Cortez 11, Dungo 10, Tovera 10, Abadam 8, Pablo 8, Gagate 6, Macalalag 4, Marasigan 2, Daep 2, Sharma 1, Gomez 0, Sardon 0
UE 87 – Lagat 30, Tanedo 14, Carillo 12, Dungca 12, Vasquez 7, Robles 5, Cruz-Dumont 3, Edoukou 2, Santos 2, Jimenez 0, Sabroso 0
Quarter Scores: 31-19, 61-42, 89-65, 112-87