The DLSU Lady Archers broke through with their first win, besting the UE Lady Warriors with a 70-55 onslaught in their UAAP Season 89 Women’s Basketball Tournament duel earlier this morning, October 4, at the PhilSports Arena.
Kyla Go carried the offensive load for the Lady Archers, scoring a game-high 18 points, along with six assists, and three boards to lead the Green-and-White attack. Bukky Ojo also set the tone with a 13-point contribution.
UE’s Rachel Lacayanga put up 18 points to match, despite the defensive pressure and foul trouble on the hardwood. Sy Oñate also followed suit with 10 points across the board.
Catching fire
Seeking redemption from defeat, the Lady Archers came into the game with a chip on their shoulders. With the back-and-forth duel in the paint, the Taft-based squad showcased their offensive arsenal with a fast-break layup and a three-pointer from Go and Zyla Lubrico, giving DLSU a 9-1 run. With two-way pressure, the Lasallian defense continued to make the Lady Warriors’ lives miserable, creating more shots from the Lady Archers and building a nine-point lead, 15-6. After several free-throw opportunities and defensive miscues, La Salle had their backs against the wall as UE picked up the pace, and Kristine Daguntas finally put the Recto-based squad on the board with a shot from beyond the arc, 16-9. Go then fired another shot from the perimeter to gain momentum, 22-11. The Green-and-White held on to the lead despite UE’s late-quarter surge with a six-point cushion, 22-16.
Entering the second period, the Lady Archers were stunted as the Lady Warriors picked up where they left off from the last quarter with a Moana Vacalares three-pointer and a Lyra Ramos bucket to set the tone, 22-21. Despite DLSU’s efforts to contain Lacalangya, the Recto-based squad refused to give in, leaving the Lasallians with their backs against the wall as they tried to regain their first-quarter momentum. With Go planting the seeds for a momentum shift with two free throws, Ojo took the charge with a stop-and-pop attack on the rim, 32-29. La Salle found their footing once more with Ojo utilizing her size advantage to contribute to the offense with an assist to Bacherto for the layup and another two-point finish of her own, 37-30.
Breaking away
After a seesaw battle in the first half, the Lady Warriors’ game began to slip in the opening of the third quarter. After spending much of the first half within striking distance, the white shirts could no longer keep La Salle from pulling away. Ojo opened the scoring from the paint to restore the double-digit lead at 41-30, but the Recto-based squad answered through Oñate and Kate Cruz to keep pace. Rublico responded before Shantei Dizon was left open off a quick pass from Ojo, finishing the play to make it 45-34. Ojo went two-for-two from the free-throw line, giving DLSU its largest lead, 47-34. UE’s full-court pressure remained aggressive, with Aliyah Ronquillo leading the charge, but the intensity began to backfire as fouls and turnovers gave La Salle repeated trips to the charity stripe. Lacayanga returned with three minutes left in the quarter while dealing with foul trouble, but struggled to regain her earlier rhythm. The white shirts also lost their touch from beyond the arc, taking away one of their most effective weapons from the first half. The Taft-based squad built on these gaps, pressing the advantage as Marga Duenas knocked down two from the line, and Ojo scored inside once more as the girls in green entered the fourth with a 55-38 lead.
The Lady Archers picked up where they left off in the final quarter, with Duenas attacking the paint before Sunga converted another Go assist. UE briefly cut the deficit through Mhariko Gullim, but the Recto-based squad could not sustain its defensive pressure as foul trouble continued to limit its options. Go’s and-one extended the lead to 62-43, and another feed to Sunga put La Salle ahead by 21. With the Lady Warriors unable to apply the same pressure without risking another foul, the green shirts continued their paint attack, allowing Sunga to add another basket before Villapando split her free throws to make it 68-43. Despite the decisive scoreline, Lacayanga converted an and-one and followed it with another basket, before adding a pair of free throws and finishing a fast break to help cut the deficit. Vacalares then connected from beyond the arc, bringing the white shirts within 15. But with the clock winding down, the comeback never materialized as La Salle saw out the remaining possessions to claim a 70-55 victory, securing the Taft-based squad’s first win of the season.
For Go, the win put into perspective the role she now plays for the Lady Archers. After nearly three years in La Salle, the Player of the Game has become one of the mentors on the roster, giving her a bigger hand in guiding her younger teammates while helping the squad build the consistency it needs early in the season. “Siguro ‘yon nga almost three years na ako sa La Salle so parang kami na ‘yung nagiging leader sa mga bata,” Go said. “Ginagawa lang namin ‘yung best namin para ma[i]pakita sa mga bata kung ano ‘yung dapat nilang sundan.”
(“I guess that’s it. I’ve been with La Salle for almost three years now, so it feels like we’re becoming leaders for the younger players. We’re just doing our best to show them what they should follow.”)
That responsibility was matched by a more composed performance on the floor. UE changed its defensive looks throughout the game, alternating between zone coverage and traps, but La Salle was able to adjust without losing its offensive rhythm. For head coach Cholo Villanueva, that response marked a huge step forward from the team’s opening game.
“The good thing now is that when we made those adjustments on timeouts, the girls were able to apply all the solutions that we were thinking of on timeouts. Compared to our first game, we weren’t able to do that,” Villanueva said.
The Lady Archers now shift their focus to longtime rivals ADMU Blue Eagles as they look to build momentum and secure another win on Wednesday, October 7, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 70 – Go 18, Ojo 13, Lubrico 7, Sunga 7, A. Dizon 6, Dueñas 5, Bacierto 4, S. Dizon 4, Villapando 4, Araza 2, Evangelio 0, Tenebro 0, Teves 0
UE 55 – Lacyanga 10, Onate 10, Lumibao 7, Dalguntas 6, Vacalares 6, Buscar 5, Gullim 5, Cruz 2, Salise 2, Ramos 2, Dublar 0, Ronquillo 0, Sajol 0
Quarter Scores: 22-16, 37-30, 55-38, 70-55