Four points proved the difference as the DLSU Green Archers could not wrest the win from the UP Fighting Maroons, falling 80-76, in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament earlier tonight, October 11, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
JC Macalalag paced La Salle with 17 points, one assist, and one steal, while Luis Pablo provided a two-way presence with 14 points, nine rebounds, one steal, and two blocks.
Meanwhile, Rey Remogat spearheaded UP’s successful outing with 20 points, four rebounds, and one steal, while Veejay Pre added 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals to the Fighting Maroons’ tally.
The pull away
With the thought of exacting revenge lingering fresh in their minds, the UP Fighting Maroons came out confident from the opening whistle, buoyed by a crowd erupting in its signature battle cry. Remogat fueled the Maroon-induced fire with an early three, but Luis Pablo answered in kind, swatting away a second Remogat attempt before finishing with a reverse layup to put the DLSU Green Archers on the board, 3-2. Dealing with back-to-back answers from the Diliman-based squad, Macalalag strung together a highlight sequence from beyond the arc and in the paint, bringing the green shirts within one, 10-9. Sensing that La Salle was prepared to fight fire with fire, the Maroons turned to veteran Jacob Bayla, whose attempt was met by Pablo and Seven Gagate’s combined defensive effort. As an impending Green-and-White turnaround was beginning to take shape, the white shirts started picking up the pace. Nonetheless, a quiet stretch gave way to contested blocks and turnovers on both ends.
Pre soon drained two triples to widen the gap, 17-11. However, Joaquin Tovera was quick to silence the opposing crowd, carving out space amid the two-man barrage to finish at the rim and trim the deficit, 19-14. Capitalizing on the momentum they had yet to relinquish, the Fighting Maroons soon made a noticeable 10-point separation before Mason Amos delivered a crucial three to close the quarter at 24-17.
Adamant about cracking the code, Doy Dungo worked his magic with a reverse layup, helping the Green Archers slowly claw their way back into contention, 27-19. As the Taft-based squad was starting to contain UP’s big man and was policing more attempts in the paint, they began to orchestrate their offense, highlighted by an Earl Abadam three that cut the lead to five. Yet, despite glimpses of life, La Salle could not fully ignite its offense, with the spark gradually fading with each emergency pass, off-balance shot, and missed conversion. A brief call-and-response exchange remained within reach, but even UP’s foul trouble could not pull the green shirts out of the miserable hole. Ultimately, two more baskets from the Fighting Maroons, including one left unguarded, widened the gap to 42-28 at halftime.
Heartbreaking finish
The Green Archers, now in the game of catch-up, opened the third frame using a double guard lineup in Tovera and Jacob Cortez to inject the squad’s offense. Both teams mounted stalwart defenses, with the cap coming off an Amos reload three, reigniting the Lasallian faithful at the six-minute mark, 44-35. However, pivotal La Salle turnovers killed their momentum, with Cortez taking on a foul after a scuffle for the second-chance board with Bayla, sending both crowds into contrasting frenzies. As Remogat caught fire with a fadeaway middy, charging the Katipunan-based squad back to double digits, 48-35, DLSU went small, subbing out Amos and Pablo for Lebron Daep and Abadam to space the floor.
Macalalag and Daep both hit catch-and-shoot threes, while Cortez took matters into his own hands, racing towards the other end during a fast break to set up Macalalag for a statement layup, as the Lasallian crowd roared with every bucket. With the gritty clash going both ways, Head Coach Topex Robinson experimented with fresh legs in Kyle Sardon. Dungo meanwhile put in an all-out performance as the squad’s sparkplug, hustling for boards, intercepting passes, and stopping fast breaks from materializing, hitting another three to cut the lead to eight, 54-46. The quarter’s dying minutes culminated in a late shootout duel in which both squads threw haymaker after haymaker. Remogat and Sardon traded threes, with the Fighting Maroons gaining the upper hand, as the quarter concluded in a Green-and-White deficit, 63-53.
Entering the final quarter, Pablo and Dungo made a one-two combo; the former slashed the paint, and the latter hit a transition three. A costly error came three minutes later; Cortez took two fouls in succession, leading to him being benched after UP attacked him in their defensive matchups. DLSU responded with Dungo pulling up for another three, followed by Tovera snatching Bayla’s dribble. The arena, painted green and maroon, was on the edge of explosion, with any shot setting off the fuse. Head Coach Robinson gambled, substituting the foul-ridden Cortez with five minutes left in the fourth. James Payosing tried to capitalize by baiting Cortez into taking his disqualifying foul, which failed as he took a charging foul instead. Cortez came alive with four minutes left, hitting a three to swing the lead within four, 72-68.
Pablo joined the battle, skying in for the pivotal board to earn his trip to the charity stripe, making it a one-possession game, 72-70. Cortez answered the call, stepping back to create a space for a corner three to take the lead, 73-72, and capped off a 7-0 run. The Green-and-White build-up finally erupted in an enormous crowd that echoed around the Mall of Asia Arena, as every Lasallian in the venue stood up in unison. However, it was short-lived, as Pre took a turnaround jumper to reclaim the lead for the Fighting Maroons, 75-73. A series of thorns concluded in a heartbreaking finish that pricked the life out of the Taft-based squad, strung together by a Cortez turnover and airball, an Abadam shooting foul, and an open Amos miss. Pre and Payosing doused the green flames with free throws to make it a two-possession game, 79-73. A last-chance Pablo and-one was not enough, as a Dungo three rimmed out, with the Green Archers falling in their new-age rivalry, 80-76.
The DLSU Green Archers look to return to their winning ways as they clash against the Adamson Soaring Falcons next Sunday, October 18, at the Blue Eagle Gym.
The Scores:
DLSU 76 – Macalalag 17, Pablo 14, Dungo 12, Cortez 10, Amos 6, Abadam 5, Daep 3, Sardon 3, Tovera 3, Marasigan 2, Gagate 1, Agunnane 0
UP 80 – Remogat 20, Pre 19, Dimaculangan 11, Bayla 8, Payosing 5, Ududo 5, Poyos 5, Stevens 4, Yniguez 3, Maga 0, Palanca 0, Briones 0
Quarter Scores: 17-24, 28-42, 53-63, 76-80