The DLSU Green Aces stormed out of the gates in the inaugural eFIBA x UAAP eGilas Talent Discovery Tournament, sweeping their first four opening group-stage matches. However, setting the pace is one thing; sustaining a championship run is another, as the Green-and-White yielded their championship hopes to the UST Growling Tigers in a dramatic semi-final standoff to end their campaign last Tuesday, October 20, at the MVP Studios.
Following the tournament, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas identified seven student-athlete prospects for the eGilas pool, which included Green-and-White stalwart Doniel Parducho, who averaged 10.1 points, 16.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists throughout the stint.
Broom in hand
An all-new opportunity produced by the UAAP: a chance to be among the nation’s 2K team standouts. Every team then stepped onto the virtual arena, now an unfamiliar battlefield, as the previous one-on-one matchup evolved into the renowned 5v5 Pro-Am mode on NBA 2K27. From October 18 to 20, the DLSU Green Aces vied to up their virtual grit and open their opening group-stage match with a bang against the ADMU Blue Eagles.
Right on cue, the Green-and-White digital cagers shocked the UAAP 2K fanbase as they kicked off as the dominators of the virtual duel. Expecting a grueling matchup, the Lasallian faithful seemed to witness the downfall of Season 87’s champions in the first game. With Jacob Asistio’s commanding reverse dunk, ADMU found themselves in a 23-point deficit, 57-34, leaving their hopes for Game 2 after a drubbing 62-41 loss.
In a bid to showcase their champion caliber, the Blue Eagles vowed to reclaim their kingdom. Yet the Taft-based joystick juggernauts turned their underdog tale into a full-blown hunt for the crown, pushing the Eagles further into the cement after Eidan Gammad brought home the bacon with 28 markers to power La Salle to a 41-18 halftime lead. Consequently, the virtual Eagles never soared again in an 81-49 Game 2 massacre.
It was a stunning upset, yet for the regular top-three contenders, the breakthrough will not be seen as a fluke. Instead, it marked their bid for the champion’s limelight as they faced their second opponents, the UE Red Warriors. And as they had boldly vowed, the broom went in their favor. The caliber that struck the Eagles was consistent against the Red Warriors, too, sweeping their opposition in a virtual hardwood masterclass in Game 1, 74-43, led by 30-point contributor Gammad in tandem with Parducho, who hit a logo three and threw himself a self alley-oop in the final seconds before the buzzer.
Though the first game felt like a breeze, the UE Red Warriors unleashed their absolute output in Game 2 to take down the red-hot Green Aces. The third quarter became their chance to inch closer to La Salle’s lead as Red difference-makers Ordona and Mamaril teamed up, capitalizing on back-to-back threes and wide-open dunk opportunities. Yet the Taft-based squad remained relentless, keeping at least a 20-point lead to close out their skirmish, 88-69.
The DLSU Green Aces wrapped up their Day 1 group-stage campaign with flying colors, captivating the crowd with an electrifying display as they swept their opponents clean on the virtual hardwood.
Devastating whiplash
Although the Green Aces found momentum, their campaign was swiftly tested in the cage fight against the AdU Soaring Falcons. What seemed like a perfect start catapulted into a reversal as Adamson showcased grit with their defensive rotations. The turning point came midway through the match, as La Salle’s premier weapon, Gammad, was cut down by the breakdown of his driving lanes, halting DLSU’s offensive rhythm as AdU claimed a 62-42 blowout victory.
Taking their first defeat of the tournament, La Salle made counter adjustments with Parducho stepping up to anchor the Green Aces, cleaning up the paint with his commanding presence. Despite the Taft-based squad remaining in striking distance, the Soaring Falcons orchestrated a masterclass from beyond the arc while executing flawless pick-and-roll plays that the Green-and-White could not solve, stomping down the green shirts’ late surge to secure a 60-50 win to end Day 2.
On the third day of the tournament, looking to redeem themselves from their second-day woes against the Soaring Falcons, the DLSU Green Aces clashed against the UST Growling Tigers in the decisive semi-finals duel.
Tipping off Game 1, the Green-and-White engaged in a three-pointer clash between Asistio and Miguel Hubilar. While the Green Aces slowed down Hubilar, UST had another plan in motion with Eryx Delos Reyes and Daemiel Argame waiting in the wings. Even as the Taft-based squad outrebounded the Growling Tigers in the paint, the España-based squad were lights out on the perimeter, with Delos Reyes and Argame greening their shots. Despite the Green Aces putting up a good fight, the yellow shirts gave them a run for their money and sealed the Game 1 victory, 72-50.
Looking to bounce back from their previous blunder, the Green Aces traded half-court blows with the Growling Tigers as the lead shifted on both sides. After crawling back from an early lead deficit, the Green-and-White went into the tournament’s first overtime with Asistio leading the comeback. Following numerous traded threes from Asistio, Hubilar, and Lorenzo Dasig, DLSU forced a game three after deflecting UST’s final shot, winning the rebounding battle.
While the second game revived the Green Aces’ finals hopes, the Taft-based squad was dragged back down to earth in the third one. The Lasallian squad turned up its offense and held the lead throughout, but the Growling Tigers kept the score close with clutch threes and midrange shots. After the dust settled from the back-and-forth clash of titans, the game was now tied with the final minute, much to the Green-and-White’s dismay. Missing an opportunity to force another overtime, the DLSU Green Aces fell victim to the Growling Tigers, bringing their promising campaign to an end as they settled for shared second runners-up in the inaugural tournament.