The DLSU Lady Archers fell to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 79-66, despite an initial lead in the UAAP Season 89 Women’s Basketball Tournament earlier today, October 7, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
BJ Villarin proved nimble despite the aggressive Atenean overwatch, spearheading counteroffensives and showcasing precision with 21 points and six steals. Kyla Go and Marga Dueñas supplied the valiant effort with 13 and 12, respectively.
Meanwhile, Kacey Dela Rosa operated as Ateneo’s focal point, cutting DLSU’s momentum short with her match-high 26 points and four assists.
Keeping pace
With the two big-women at the halfway line, ADMU’s Dela Rosa won out against Bukky Ojo, as she quickly followed with a two-pointer. The Katipunan mainstay continued to cut the Lasallians’ charges short, boosting Ateneo to 12-5. Gaining heat, the Lady Archers braced for Dela Rosa’s charge, aiming to cut her passing opportunities short as a penultimate for Go’s counter-charge. After crafting plays for Ojo and Villarin, Go was constantly pinned down, yet sifted through traffic to bag consecutive two-pointers to lead, 16-12. Villarin blasted the gap with back-to-back three-point buckets from an open left flank against the Ateneans. Holding onto the lead, La Salle endured the Blue Eagles’ aggression by forcing shots off the low posts and farther into the corners to end the first ahead, 19-14.
The Lady Archers continued their stalwart defense going into the second, with Dela Rosa continued the offensive lead for the Ateneans as the pressure on Go strengthened. The quarter was in a drought with empty passes and missed shots. Go was substituted out as the Lasallians looked to establish a defensive presence on the hardwood. The tug continued as time drained, with their passes now being intercepted. DLSU struggled to ignite plays, and the Ateneans continued misfiring on the offensive end. The back-and-forth continued, with the status quo benefiting the Lady Archers. Dueñas and Sunga, however, shifted the momentum as they flanked the defenders for open shots. Ateneo would nullify by responding with buckets on the other end. The deficit remained at five points, with the Lady Archers still leading at 33-28.
Costly meltdown
The Lady Archers emerged from halftime visibly disjointed on the offensive end, missing early perimeter shots while relying on a stifling full-court press to generate stops. Ateneo immediately capitalized on the Lasallians’ scoring drought, feeding Dela Rosa inside to establish a 41-38 lead. Needing an offensive anchor, Dueñas halted the skid for the Green-and-White by drilling consecutive elbow midrange jumpers. Building on the momentum, La Salle tightened their interior defense and anticipated the entry passes to the post, culminating in a well-timed pick-and-roll from Go to Villarin that knotted the score at 45-all. Assistant Coach JR Aquino takes the reins for the unavailable Head Coach Cholo Villanueva, called for a zone defense, but the Blue Eagles solved the scheme with back-to-back triples from Alyssa Rodriguez. Villarin’s last-second fastbreak conversion salvaged the quarter, as the Taft-based squad headed into the 4th quarter trailing closely, 51-49.
The final frame opened with a chaotic exchange of errors before the Lasallians coughed up their possession, leading to ADMU transition baskets. Sensing the game slipping away, Go took matters into her own hands, knocking down a crucial three-pointer and drawing a foul on a hard drive to reclaim a narrow 60-59 edge for the Lady Archers and forcing a Blue Eagle timeout. However, La Salle’s defense faltered right after the break, allowing Rodriguez to sink a pivotal three-pointer to snatch the lead back. After the defensive breakdown, a disastrous offensive collapse doomed the Green-and-White, marked by rushed shots, careless turnovers, and a costly 24-second shot clock violation. La Salle crumbled under mounting pressure in crunch time, surrendering massive open jumpers that stretched the gap even more. With their backs against the wall in the final 92 seconds, the Green-and-White desperately scrambled for a defensive stop, but Rodriguez delivered the dagger with another triple. Despite late conversion attempts from the Taft-based squad, they succumbed to the transition offense from their archrivals, absorbing a 79-66 loss.
Seeking to recover from the late-game collapse, the DLSU Lady Archers shift their attention to their upcoming clash with the UP Fighting Maroons as they vie to bounce back into the win column on Sunday, October 11, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 66 – Villarin 21, Go 13, Dueñas 12, Ojo 6, Barcieto 4, Sunga 4, Villapando 3, Anastacio 2, Lubrico 1, A. Dizon 0, S. Dizon 0
ADMU 79 – Dela Rosa 26, Calago 15, Rodriguez 12, Makanjuola 10, De Luna 7, Oani 6, Lopez 3, Cruza 0, Hagedom 0, Lopez 0, Subejano 0
Quarter Scores: 19-14, 33-28, 49-51, 66-79