The DLSU Lady Archers dropped to a 1-3 standing, bowing to the UP Fighting Maroons in a 63-58 heartbreaker in their UAAP Season 89 Women’s Basketball Tournament duel earlier today, October 11, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Bukky Ojo carried the offensive load for the Taft-based squad, scoring a team-high 14 points to lead the Green-and-White attack. Kyla Go also set the tone with a 12-point contribution.
UP’s Louna Ozar put up a game-high 20 points to anchor the Diliman-based squad, despite the defensive pressure on the hardwood. Camille Nolasco also followed suit with 16 points across the board.
Sluggish start
Looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking loss against the Blue Eagles, the Lady Archers immediately turned up the defensive pressure, opening the first with a full-court press against the UP Fighting Maroons. Aiesha Dizon kicked off DLSU’s offensive end with a quick turnaround fadeaway to put La Salle up two. However, the Maroons quickly countered with a fast-paced offense and crisp ball movement. Fueled by Ozar, who knocked down a three-pointer and converted two free throws in quick succession, UP launched an uncontested 9-0 run to take a 9-2 lead. Following a timeout, the Lady Archers responded by consistently attacking the paint and drawing fouls. Go spearheaded that effort, repeatedly driving to the basket and getting to the free-throw line to keep La Salle within striking distance, 17-12. Despite committing eight turnovers and struggling from the field, shooting just 18.18 percent, the Green-and-White stayed in the game through their trips to the charity stripe. Go led the charge with 10 points, including eight converted free throws on ten attempts, as the Lady Archers closed the first quarter trailing UP, 18-16.
The Green-and-White’s offensive struggles carried over into the second quarter, as they managed just two points in the opening five minutes while committing costly turnovers. A driving layup by Ozar, followed by a floater from Nolasco off a BJ Villarin miss, extended the Maroons’ lead to 29-18. Villarin eventually broke La Salle’s scoring drought with an easy layup, marking the team’s first field goal since the seven-minute mark. Dizon then injected energy into the Lady Archers’ offense with an emphatic and-one layup, trimming the deficit to eight. Another defensive stop from Go led to a feed to Villarin for a layup, forcing UP to call a timeout. However, the Maroons responded immediately after the break as Marielle Vingno sank a three-pointer. Go attempted to answer from beyond the arc but missed, leaving La Salle scoreless on all 11 three-point attempts in the first half. Ojo capped the half with a tough layup, sending the teams into the break with UP ahead, 37-29, led by an inspired Ozar, who put on a clinical 16-point performance.
Fleeting spark, late fade
Emerging from the halftime break, the Lady Archers immediately sought to chip away at the deficit. Ojo sparked the offense early from Go’s assist to convert and cut UP’s lead down to six. However, the Fighting Maroons showcased their offensive depth with Nolasco unleashing a three-pointer, keeping La Salle at a frustrating arm’s length despite an otherwise suffocating defensive stand. Mired in a grueling 0-for-13 three-point shooting drought, La Salle finally found their salvation in Zyla Lubrico. Capitalizing on sheer hustle for consecutive offensive rebounds and a rock-solid screen from Ojo, Lubrico introduced La Salle’s first triple of the contest. Riding that sudden wave of momentum for the Green-and-White, the point guard followed it up with another pinpoint three-pointer off a mirrored Ojo screen, slashing the gap to a razor-thin 48-46 in the dying minutes of the third frame. However, just as the Taft-based squad primed to hijack the momentum, Kay Pesquera delivered a dagger three to rebuild a 51-46 cushion heading into the final quarter.
The Lady Archers continued their pursuit as the fourth quarter commenced, with Kyla Sunga imposing her will in the paint to muscle the score to a one-possession game, 53-50. But disaster struck when Go was whistled for her fourth personal foul, forcing her to the bench and robbing La Salle of their primary engine. The Maroons ruthlessly capitalized on the vulnerability, fueled by a Shane Cunanan jumper and a fastbreak finish from Ozar. The true backbreaker arrived moments later when Nolasco, heavily contested with shot clock dying, drained a spectacular forced three-pointer, ballooning UP’s lead to a 63-53 double-digit advantage. Just on the five-minute marker, Go was escorted out of the court due to a misstep. Missing one of their marksmen, DLSU threw everything into a desperate defensive scramble, anchored by monumental rejections from Dizon and Ojo that temporarily paralyzed the Maroon defense. Despite forcing consecutive stops, La Salle’s transition game misfired, leaving crucial points on the floor. Steph Villapando finally broke through with a vital three-pointer in the waning two minutes to shrink the deficit to 63-58, but the late-game surge was not enough to dismantle the comfortable cushion UP had meticulously built.
Looking to shake off the bitter defeat, the DLSU Lady Archers will seek redemption as they prepare to ambush the UST Growling Tigresses and shatter their winning streak, with the anticipated showdown set for October 21, 11 am, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 58 – Ojo 14, Go 12, Lubrico 9, Villarin 7, Sunga 6, A. Dizon 5, Villapando 3, Bacierto 2, S. Dizon 0, Anastacio 0, Delos Reyes 0
UP 63 – Ozar 20, Nolasco 16, Francis 10, Cunanan 7, Pesquera 5, Vingno 3, Ka 2, Tapawan 0, Abrams 0, Loon 0, Mendoza 0
Quarter Scores: 16-18, 29-37, 46-51, 58-63