La Salle wins 65-60!!!!
De La Salle proved mathematicians everywhere wrong, when they won only their 2nd out of the 5 meetings with Ateneo this season.
These 2 wins are the most crucial; the first win gaining them a twice to beat advantage, while the 2nd propelled them to the Finals.
Ateneo can keep their elimination round wins and only 1 of 2 sorely-needed triumphs.
De La Salle had the chance to go the Finals last Thursday, since they only needed to win once in the stepladder format to advance. Sadly, Ateneo pulled the rug from under them, squeaking by with a 65-64 decision.
The game today avenges that loss. The prize: a chance to win the Finals, an opportunity to win the championship after a year-long Sabbatical.
Props go to Cholo Villanueva, who with his cool head, was able to douse cold water on Ateneo's hot streaks. Rico Maierhoffer also hustled his heart out at the opposite ends of the court. Jvee Casio also nonchalantly sank both freethrows at the dying seconds of the ballgame, to make it 64-60. Nonoy Baclao cut the lead to two in the previous play, hitting a very surprising three-pointer to make it 62-60.
More on this tomorrow!
Coincidentally, my above equation is true in another aspect: La Salle, as the No.2 seed, edges out Ateneo, the #3.
I gotta sleep!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Ateneo Still Survives (for Sep 28)
Ateneo Lives Another Day
“One big fight” turned out to be one more game. Chris Tiu came alive in the second half then pumped in the killer shots in the homestretch as Ateneo stunned archrival La Salle, 64-65, to live one more day in the 70th UAAP stepladder semifinals at the packed and rocking Araneta Coliseum.
Tiu fired bricks in the first 20 minutes of play, but buried a long triple in the last two minutes before driving inside for the go-ahead layup with 7.3 seconds left. The second-seeded Green Archers, who came into the game carrying a twice-to-beat advantage, missed out on the last play with Bader Malabes misfiring on a three-point attempt as time expired.
Ateneo’s scrambling win thus forged a winner-take-all match on Sunday at 3 pm. The winner will face University of the East, who took outright the first finals slot after sweeping the elimination round.
The Blue Eagles were given up for dead, trailing by five to start the fourth period and were almost done in with two minutes remaining. JV Casio’s split freethrow made it 64-58 but Ateneo erased the deficit on a 7-0 run, on Tiu’s exploits and on a layup by Ford Arao with 51 seconds to play.
Tiu’s triple closed the Eagles to within 64-61, 1:54 remaining. Casio’s three-point try rimmed out in the next play before PJ Walsham bungled another attempt from beyond the arc. Kirk Long rebounded Tiu’s missed triple and fed Ford Arao for an easy layup to beat the shotclock, 64-63.
Malabes then muffed an off-balanced layup to set up Tiu’s winning play in the final 7.3 seconds. La Salle inbounded to Casio from the top of the key before finding a wide-open Malabes from the left side.
The loss was a nail-biter for the Archers, who led most of the way and took control early on. They gained headway after the half, thanks to a seven-point third-quarter output from Ty Tang, who topscored with 20 points. Casio added 11 but struggled with only two treys in the game and scored only one point in the fourth quarter.
“We’re happy we won the game,” said Coach Norman Black. “We couldn’t do anything on offense. Luckily, our defense held up.”
“Tiu struggled the entire game, but he came up with the big shots when the game’s on the line,” Black said of Tiu, who’s apparently taken La Salle’s number with three game-winning shots against the Archers this season.
Tiu, who finished with 14 markers, erupted with seven points in the final period after being held to only one point in the first half. Arao led the Eagles with 19, including 10 in the first quarter. Noy Baclao and Eric Salamat each had eight.
The win was the Eagles’ third in four meetings against the Archers, whose only victory earned them the no. 2 slot in the stepladder semifinals. Sunday’s meeting assured the two teams’ a fifth encounter, with the winner advancing in the best-of-three championship series against the Red Warriors next week.
La Salle led at the end of every quarter, and was poised to put the game under wraps after entering the fourth period at 52-47. The Archers took a six-point lead twice, the first one at 54-48 on Rico Maierhoffer’s foiled three-point-play attempt.
Baclao’s back-to-back tip-in shots tied the game for the last time at 54-all. But Cholo Villanueva made a fastbreak layup and Tan hit four straight points to put the Archers again on top, 63-58, time down to 2:20.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A Nation's Passion Lives in a Rivalry of Green vs. Blue
A Nation's Passion Lives in a Rivalry of Green vs. Blue
QUEZON CITY, the Philippines, Sept. 21 — Senators, foreign diplomats, cabinet ministers, a smattering of Forbes's 40 richest Filipinos, movie stars and enough professional basketball players to play five-on-five. They are the elite of Philippine society, and they all gather at Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City to watch the men's basketball rivalry between the universities Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle.
La Salle Coach Franz Pumaren said, "The janitors in Araneta always say, 'If there's an Ateneo-La Salle game, once everybody's out of the coliseum, it still smells good because of the all the socialites watching.' "
In the basketball-crazed Philippines, where former players have become senators and nearly every public square has its own court, it is hard to imagine a crowd like this assembling for any other event. Kristie A. Kenney, the United States ambassador, attended the season's first meeting between Ateneo and La Salle in late July.
Ateneo and La Salle are the most prestigious private universities in the country. The question of which institution provides a superior education is a toss-up; the tie breakers take place on the basketball court.
Although Ateneo and La Salle have similar upper-class student bodies, their respective basketball teams are very different.
The Ateneo players have a squeaky-clean image. The team's prize freshman, Kirk Long, came from Faith Academy, a high school in suburban Manila for the children of foreign missionaries. Guard Eric Salamat's surname means thank you in Tagalog.
La Salle's players have a menacing swagger, with tattoos, headbands, shaved heads and chin-strap beards. In 2005, La Salle revealed that two of its players had used phony high school equivalency results in their applications, and the team was suspended for the 2006 season.
The teams also play different styles, with somewhat different results. The De La Salle Green Archers won four straight national championships from 1998 to 2001 thanks to its vaunted trapping defense.
"The dreaded press; you know your guards will turn over the ball against it," said Joel Banal, who coached Ateneo in 2002 and 2003. "I used to have nightmares about it."
Ateneo plays textbook basketball, with man-to-man defense and an inside-out offense that relies on post-up moves and perimeter shooting. The Blue Eagles won the 2002 championship, their only title in the last 17 years.
If Ateneo wins Sunday's game against the University of St. Thomas, it will face La Salle for the fourth time this season, in the national semifinals. Ateneo has won two of their three meetings this season, games decided by a total of 6 points.
In each of these nail-biters, the 15,000-seat arena was sold out, with supporters standing in aisles and stairwells. Almost everyone on La Salle's side of the coliseum wore green. On the other side, Ateneo's fans wore blue. Marching bands blared fight songs as spectators on both sides chanted.
The frenzied crowds are often led by some of the most prominent alumni. Senator Richard Gordon, a former Ateneo cheerleader, is renowned for sideline antics like jumping on the scorer's table to rile up the crowd. La Salle counts the former finance secretary José Pardo and the shipping mogul Enrique Razon Jr. among its supporters.
The rivalry allows Manila's elites to relive their carefree college days, said Ricky Palou, Ateneo's athletic director. "It's the passion they have for their alma mater," he said. "They become immature. They act like kids."
The fans' excessive behavior is matched by the largesse that the alumni lavish on their teams. A group from Ateneo installed the hardwood floor used for the 2000 N.B.A. All-Star Game at the university gym. Not to be outdone, Razon donated about $1 million, which went toward refurbishing La Salle's sports center and financing athletic scholarships.
The heightened atmosphere of the rivalry puts coaches and players under enormous pressure. When Joe Lipa coached Ateneo in the late 1990s, the former president Corazon Aquino, whose daughter Kris is a 1992 graduate, would call Lipa to check on the team's progress, said Ricky Dandan, Lipa's former assistant.
"You can lose to all the other teams, but not to La Salle," Banal said.
When his team defeated La Salle for the championship in 2002, it was "my most fulfilling accomplishment," Banal said, adding: "After that championship it's like the whole Filipino nation knew me. Like if you go to a restaurant, you eat, you're paying your bill, somebody from Ateneo got it already."
But the shame of losing also haunts players and coaches. In the final game of the 2002 national championship series, the La Salle star Mike Cortez missed 11 of 13 shots. Afterward, La Salle students and alumni accused Cortez of throwing the game. Although Cortez is now an all-star guard in the Philippine professional league, many fans still regard him as a game fixer.
The rivalry has loosened the bond of friendship between the teams' coaches. Ateneo Coach Norman Black and Pumaren won several professional titles together in the late 1980s with the San Miguel Beermen.
"If you're part of the rivalry, you just don't like each other," Black said. "Franz played for me and he was my assistant coach, but that has little bearing on what's happening right now. He's the coach of La Salle; I'm the coach of Ateneo. Let the chips fall where they may."
La Salle Clinches Twice To Beat Advantage! (for Sep 18)
Sweet revenge. The De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers will definitely have a series of good night sleeps after shutting down their arch-nemesis Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles with a sweet 70-69 victory on September 18 at the Big Dome giving the former a twice-to-beat advantage and forcing the latter to a must-win battle with last season’s champions, University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers.
Joseph Evans “JV” Casio spurred the run of the Archers as he was hot inside and out connecting 3/7 or 42.9% from beyond the arc, a decent 5/11 or 45.5% field goals and a perfect 2/2 free throws.
Rico Maierhofer on the other hand posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds despite hitting his knee-ankle area after driving into the rim 2:52 minutes left in the first quarter.
Ateneo was rather more aggressive in the first half with Kirk Long giving the Archers headaches with his hoop drives.
The Blue Eagles limited the Archers’ scoring in the second quarter to 16 as compared to their 19 points production. Zion Lattere gave the Blue and White squad its biggest lead 32-24 by driving inside the lane and converting a bucket less than 3 minutes left in the first half.
A 4-0 rally was hoisted by Casio and Barua to inch closer to Ateneo and avoided a possible double digit bubble at the end of the half 32-28.
Severino Baclao was haunted with early fouls that limited his game and affected the execution plays of the Katipunan-based squad giving the Taft-based squad more opportunities to penetrate inside.
La Salle regained its composure in the third with Casio and Maierhofer continuously converting points for the rather dominant green crowd.
PJ Barua sparked the La Sallian crowd with his 3-point conversion giving La Salle a 35-34 lead early in the third. Rabbah Al- Hussaini answered with a field goal, thus giving back the lead to Ateneo.
Maierhofer converted two charities after Al-Hussaini’s foul that gave La Salle a four point advantage 40-36 with 5 minutes left in the third.
Chris Tiu uplifted the Blue Eagles crowd by converting a triple 3:50 minutes left. Eric Salamat further increased the lead of the Eagles to 5 with 42-47 less than 3 minutes left.
La Salle bounced back as Cholo Villanueva converted with a lay-up to cut the lead of the Eagles to three.
Casio broke the deadlock at 47-all with a fancy 3-pointer that gave La Salle the upper hand at the end of the third at 50-47.
After fishing a foul from Zion Laterre, Casio secured a 4-point lead for the Green and White squad in last two minutes of the regulation.
A useless foul was committed by Villanueva against Tiu that was converted by the latter into 2 easy charities cutting the lead of the Archers to two 69-67 less than two minutes left in the game.
Long fouled Villanueva in the dying seconds of the game wherein the latter split his charities thus gave the Archers a breathing space, 70-67.
Ateneo made a last huddle by converting a two-pointer .01 of a second left. The Archers jubilantly ended its two-game skid against the Eagles and clinched the twice-to-beat advantage.
La Salle will have to wait for the winner of the UST and ADMU match on Sunday, September 23, at the Araneta Coliseum.
Coach Franz Pumaren was rather satisfied with his team. “Last two games we lost but we showed a little bit of character, we got the number two spot. Right now I’m just happy on how we performed. It was a massive test on our part.”
He did not make a clear comment when asked who would win between Ateneo and UST. “We don’t choose whoever we play we just have to be prepared and ready to play.”NU Muddles Things Up, sets up Ateneo-LaSalle part 3!
National University’s 96-88 overtime win on September 15 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium might not have changed its fortune, but the outcome was significant to Ateneo de Manila University.
Jonathan Jahnke was the hero of the day for the Bulldogs, scoring the first nine NU points in OT, finding daylight from the outstretched arms of Noynoy Baclao for a twister, 80-73, 3:19. Two consecutive Jonathan Fernandez threes later, it was already an 88-76 tally in favour of National.
“Kami naman we just wanted to get beck at Ateneo,” said NU coach Manny Dandan, not minding of what the repercussions were. “We just want to win para closing out the season maganda.”
Fernandez chiseled 24 points, shooting 6/11 from outside and 4/4 from the line, and five rebounds. Edwin Asoro had 16 markers and 12 boards, eight coming from the offensive glass.
Jahnke loaded with 15 points, five caroms, three assists, four steals, and four turnovers. Shooting guards Michael Salvado and Cyrus Malagueño totaled 22, 15 points coming from three-point territory, five rebbies, and seven assists with the former swiping five possessions and swatting three shots from Ateneo.
“Maganda lang dinipensa namin,” Dandan surmised.
The hustle points proved that point with the Dogs making 13 fastbreak points, 23 second chance points, and 31 turnover points. They also had 14 steals, forcing ADMU to 29 turnovers, while they limited themselves to just 14 miscues. Other than that, the blue and gold’s outside shooting was on target, making 13 from the three-point territory.
On the other hand, the Blue Eagles shot better overall with a 42% clip, had more rebounds with 60, while producing 20 assists and nine blocks.
“We took that risk to put all forwards kanina,” mentioned Dandan to counter ADMU mentor Norman Black’s ploy of fielding in tall but quick players.
This marked as the final games of Fernandez, Malagueño, Salvado, and Joseph Lingao-Lingao.
Ford Arao lorded with 22 points, half of it coming in the first quarter, ten rebounds, and four errors. Jai Reyes exploded with 16, five boards, seven assists, and two steals.
Eric Salamat and Eman Monfort had an equal share of 14 markers each.
With this, the Eagles are forced to battle De La Salle University on September 20 at 3pm at the Cuneta Astrodome. The winner gets the twice-to-beat benefit with the defeated facing the victor of the University of Santo Tomas versus Far Eastern University knockout match. The Growling Tigers and the Tamaraws would trench the Araneta Coliseum on September 17.
Ateneo de Manila was thinking of wrapping things up early, Salamat driving in for a lay in, 17-7, 1:28 of the first quarter. This was duplicated by Yuri Escueta late in the second with a quick basket, 30-20, less than a minute to go.
Things then turned sour for the Katipunan-based squad as Fernandez hoisted a three from the side for the first ever lead change of the tussle, 34-31, 6:39 of the third period. This was increased to nine via a Salvado triple, 54-45, 9:08 remaining in regulation.
Egged on by the blue and white gallery, ADMU released a 7-0 run to take the lead for a while with Tiu stealing one then passing off to Reyes to complete the fastbreak, 61-59, 4:27. With both sides exchanging digits, Salamat found space despite being covered by Asoro to formulate a shaky three-point margin, 71-68, more than a minute left.
Salvado split his trip at the freethrow line from a Zion Laterre foul at the one-minute mark. The Eagles was called for a 24-second violation after Tiu’s attempt to beat the buzzer hit board.
Asoro recovered a Jahnke hoist that was deflected by Baclao for a one-hander in the paint, :21.1, tying the count. Salamat and Tiu had a two-man play set up as Salamat drove then kicked off to a wide open Tiu for the game-winner, but his three-pointer hitting metal instead as the regulation buzzer sounded.
La Salle slides to 9-5, Ateneo must lose! (for Sep 13)
Warriors Sweep Elims In OT
A Pumaren just made history. Dindo did just what older brother Franz could not achieve when University of the East swept De La Salle University, 92-84, on September 13 at the Araneta Coliseum. And if this happened in the last millennium, the Red Warriors would have been automatic champions instead of having to grab two more wins to become one.
UE took the fight out of the Green Archers in overtime as they kept on pounding until the final buzzer. Mark Fampulme’s jump shot from a Rudy Lingganay entry pass, 1:36 of extension, typified the Warriors’ dominance with the big man flexing his muscles in front of the East crowd after making the basket.
“The way they were playing, iba kumpiyansa ng mga bata,” Pumaren praised his wards. “Iba na. Maturity na nandoon.”
Hans Thiele led the Warriors with 16 points and 16 rebounds, nine coming from the offensive end. James Martinez had an output of 13, making 3/7 from beyond the arc.
“I am so proud of the boys. (Thiele) made the key points,” Pumaren mentioned. “Puro post na kami noong fourth quarter. Nawala na malalaki nila.”
Mark Borboran and Marcy Arellano combined for 22 markers, 17 boards, and seven assists. Pari Llagas and Kelvin Gregorio notched ten each.
Jvee Casio fouled out with 22 points on 8/13 shooting, six rebounds, and five assists on 35 minutes. TY Tang had 16 and eight feeds, while Bader Malabes scored 12.
The brothers Pumaren had a light moment after the game.
“We embraced pa nga,” Dindo shared. “Nag-good luck siya.”
East’s last championship appearance was on 1990, coincidentally against the Green Archers.
“We are preparing for the finals. Kalahati pa lang ito,” Pumaren foresighted. “Wala pa itong sweep na ito. Ang goal ng school ay championship.”
The wrestling match was on as Brian Ilad scored a sucker punch on Fampulme after the big Warrior and Rico Maierhofer held a staredown in front of the DLSU bench at the :55.1 mark of the first quarter, the game tied at 16-all.
The Recto-based squad then went on to score the final six points of the period, later extending it to a nine-point advantage with Arellano scoring off an and-one sequence against Ferdinand, 6:33 of the second, 32-23.
De La Salle then had a 19-2 eruption with Casio putting the cherry with a three-pointer, 42-34, two and a half remaining. However, the red and white once again had a six-point spurt in the end courtesy of a Paul Lee putback, an Elmer Espiritu triple, and a Borboran split from the freethrow line.
“To be honest noong second quarter, nagka-run sila puro three-points,” the younger Pumaren exclaimed. “I told them to extend out, lalo na kay Casio. Nahirapan sila (Archers).”
The Taft-based squad turned it into a seven-point game, three and a half remaining in the third with Kish Co completing a steal, handing an outlet pass to Cholo Villanueva, who finished with an incomplete three-point play against Espiritu, 60-53. The Warriors then scored five straight all coming from the freethrow line to come closer.
Casio showed how it is to beat the buzzer with time to spare with a four-point lead going into the final ten minutes, 62-58.
Martinez converted a four-point play off Malabes, for a five-point bubble, 69-64, the largest gap either squad would have before UE’s breakaway in the extension period. Lee’s layup off a Fampulme screen was the final instance of a five-point lead, 77-72, 1:23.
The Archers then gradually ate up the buffer with James Mangahas finding PJ Walsham wide open inside after grabbing Tang’s missed three, 76-77, :35.4 to go.
“Namili ako if I am going to gamble (with a timeout),” Pumaren discussed. “Talagang sa amin. May tulong sa taas. Sa lahat pa nang nagmintis, si Casio.”
Casio had a chance to win it for his team, but he flubbed his first free try to tie the game up, :03.5 to go. Arellano committed an inbounds violation to give the Archers one more crack but Casio’s pass to Maierhofer went wayward as Arellano’s desperation at the buzzer went nowhere near the goal.
Ateneo Sweeps La Salle In Elims (for Sep 9)
It took a difference of a millisecond between losing and, probably, winning as Rico Maierhofer held the ball a little longer than necessary at the buzzer as Ateneo de Manila University escaped De La Salle University, 89-87.
Yuri Escueta drove and attracted the defense then kicked the ball out to a waiting Chris Tiu at right quarter court :17.8 to go for the marginal basket. With ample time for one more play, Casio missed a fadeaway jump shot from 15 feet with Maierhofer attempting to send the game into overtime but in vain.
“The guys showed a lot of grit and guts tonight,” said ADMU coach Norman Black. “(Escueta) is our main man.”
Tiu was 4/5 from the three-point country for 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Ford Arao had 18 markers on 8/10 freethrow marksmanship, grabbed eight boards, and dished two feeds.
Escueta had 16 points on a perfect 5/5 shooting and four assists in a career defining game. Eric Salamat had 15 and five assists, and Jobe Nkemakolam had an output of ten on 6/6 shooting at the line, and six caroms.
The Blue Eagles made 10/17 from outside on 50% overall field goal shooting, while making 81% of their freebies. They also had 19 assists and five blocks.
Maierhofer had a career best of 24 points and nine rebounds. Cholo Villanueva netted 18 markers. TY Tang had an all-around night with 15, eight boards, and five assists, while Bader Malabes scored 11.
The Archers made hay on the hustle department with 16 transition points and 16 turnover points.
Interestingly, Casio’s five points in the game were the last points of De La Salle in the match.
“It looks that way. We will be going to play this team again,” Black commented on Ateneo’s nemesis, who is on a tug-of-war battle for a twice-to-beat advantage. With this conquest, the blue and white is now tied with the vanquished at 9-4.
“Focus is now on NU. This victory would not mean anything if we lose against NU,” Black rued. “We only beat them by one point the first time around. All we have to do is beat NU and we are number two.”
Appropriately, that Ateneo versus National University tussle would close out the eliminations on September 15. The green and white faces the challenge of foiling University of the East’s sweep on September 13 at the Araneta Coliseum.
“I am expecting anything at this point,” and this is including a probable protest when asked by a reporter to Black in the postgame interview. “I have come to expect a last second play.”
ADMU stormed off a 13-3 start with Jai Reyes passing off to Noynoy Baclao from a pressbreak play, 7:01 in the first quarter. Not to be outdone, the Taft-based squad replied with a 14-0 kick to bridge the two periods with Villanueva hitting a three-point play off Ken Barracoso, 21-15, 9:47.
Arao tied the count with two freethrows off a Brian Ilad foul, 3:50 in the second, 30-all. Maierhofer responded with five straight to give the Green Archers headaway going into the locker, 40-33, 1:19.
A 7-0 start at the third gave DLSU its highest lead, 51-38, 8:23. Nevertheless, the Katipunan-based crew had an 8-2 finish concluded by a threes from Tiu and Eric Salamat, and a twisting layup from Nkemakolam to go within by one, 64-65.
Two straight Villanueva baskets forced Black to call an early timeout with Maierhofer’s split at the line providing a seven-point cushion, 73-66, 7:05. The leather was swung around by Tiu and Escueta to Salamat at the side for a trey and a tie, 75-all, with Escueta’s quick undergoal gave the Eagles the upperhand momentarily, less than four minutes remaining.
Tang’s three from near the top of the key evened things up once more, 79-all, as both sides pushed and pulled for the lead until Tiu’s game-winning three.
“I thought we won the first game,” Black stated. “A lot of people were questioning that with the protest.”
As for the referees, Black had this to say, “I was a little bit upset at times. But that is part of the passion of the game.”
La Salle Enters Final Four! (for Sept 2)
De La Salle University limited National University to a solitary field goal the first nine minutes of the game en route to a 78-64 beating, the Gang Green having the near empty Araneta Coliseum among themselves on September 2.
Jvee Casio and Rico Maierhofer were the Green Archers’ Mutt and Jeff combo with a combined 33 points on 12/20 shooting and 15 rebounds. The spitfire guard had eight assists to add in his resume, while the lanky forward had three blocks.
Jonathan Fernandez and Edwin Asoro were NU’s version of the dynamic duo with 36 markers. Asoro grabbed 17 boards, seven coming from the offensive end, three steals, and five blocks.
DLSU made 27 turnover points, while National shot only 30% at the field.
“Technically we are in the final four already,” said De La Salle men’s basketball coach Franz Pumaren. “One leg is in the final four for us. All we need is to win our next game.”
And that next game is against no other than Ateneo de Manila University, who is also aspiring for a twice-to-beat slot.
“We beat Ateneo, automatic we are ranked number two,” Pumaren shared.
As for his final match in the eliminations against still undefeated University of the East, “It is still a long way. They are going to play us,” Pumaren mentioned. “ For me, there is no such thing as giving a game to anybody. Hopefully we gain some momentum towards the final four. The time for us to relax is after the tournament.”
Being in that position before, Pumaren picked his younger’s brain, “Whether they admit it or not, the more they think of the sweep, the more they struggle.”
Win #8! (for Aug 25)
Archers Warp Sinking Maroons
De La Salle University made whipping boys out of the young University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 89-61, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on August 25. Just like in the first round, the outcome was settled as early as the first quarter with the Green Archers limiting UP to four points in the first seven minutes. The highest lead was at 36 with a Jvee Casio incursion, 63-27, 6:12 of the third.
“I do not think it is even a gauge,” remarked DLSU coach Franz Pumaren. “UP lost their competitive spirit and they were just going through the motions.”
Five Archers scored in double figures with Casio leading with 17 points on 7/14 shooting, while handing off four assists plus a block. PJ Walsham had 14, while Brian Ilad scored ten in the first period to finish with 13, eight rebounds, two blocks, and four turnovers.
TY Tang produced 12 markers and seven feeds, Rico Maierhofer had a double-double with ten on 3/3 field goal shooting and 12, swatting two Maroon attempts along the way.
The Taft-based crew totaled 21 assists, nine steals, 16 fastbreak points, 23 turnover points, while committing just 15 errors.
VJ Serios headed the Diliman-based squad with 15 points and nine caroms. Michael Gamboa had 11, three assists, and six booboos. Miguel de Asis also finished with 11 markers.
The Archers are on a three-game romp for 8-3, distancing themselves further from the pack. State is still winless in nine tries.
“It is in our hands to make the top two spots,” Pumaren mentioned. “I like where we are right now.”
The green and white would have a week’s rest before encountering National University on September 2 at the Araneta Coliseum. The Maroons have Far Eastern University next on tap on August 30 at the Big Dome.
Win #7! (for Aug 23)
Archers March To Seventh Win
De La Salle University beat Adamson University down so badly in the worst way, 75-55, on an almost empty Araneta Coliseum on August 23. That was all she wrote as early as the first quarter after the Green Archers pieced a 25-8 score in the first ten minutes. They then enjoyed 20-point leads from thereon, the highest was at 25 courtesy of a Peejay Barua incursion, 3:51 remaining in the match, 69-44.“The way I look at Adamson, they looked disoriented,” DLSU coach Franz Pumaren analyzed the situation. “They know pretty well they are out of the final four. They do not have the motivation to play.”
Rico Maierhofer did not need to extend himself, topscoring for the Archers with 12 points and seven rebounds on 19 minutes.
“Problem with him is maturity,” Pumaren pointed out on his forward’s bumpy season. “He is too excited in every game.”
Jvee Casio had 12 points on 4/6 shooting, while Brian Ilad went a perfect 4/4 on the field, missing only at the freethrow line for nine markers and six boards.
Patrick Cabahug led the Falcons with 17 points, but shot only 25%. Roel Hugnatan was the other double-digit scorer with 16 and six rebounds.
The Archers were everywhere on the stat board with 20 assists, ten steals, 19 transition points, 20 turnover points, and turning it over just 13 times. On the other hand, Adamson had only five attempts from the freethrow area.
“We took advantage on our part and got the win,” Pumaren exclaimed. “I was able to be given the chance to experiment on my rotation.”
De La Salle is gradually leaving the peloton with seven wins on ten games, while AdU is out of it with 1-8.
“We already saw the things we need to adjust,” Pumaren mentioned regarding their plans for the rest of the season.
La Salle beats FEU for a 6-3 record (for Aug 19)
La Salle Edges Out FEU For Solo Second
De La Salle University had a breath of fresh air, bucking a near collapse against of Far Eastern University, 74-66. The Green Archers led by as much as 15, 70-55, with a Ferdinand tip in, 4:46. However, FEU did not let the game away that easy as it trimmed the gap to six with Jon Alisbo finding Marlon Adolfo for a three-pointer from near the top of the arc, 66-72, more than a minute to go. That was the nearest the Tamaraws got with Cholo Villanueva sealing the game with two freethrows from separate trips.
“It was a test of character on our team,” said DLSU coach Franz Pumaren. “We rose to the occasion right now. It is a good win.”
Jvee Casio led with 16 points, going 9/10 at the freethrow area. He also passed off four times and stole the leather thrice. Rico Maierhofer woke up with 13 markers, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks, while TY Tang made 12 and eight feeds.
As a team, the Taft-based squad shot only 4/22 from the arc with a total 35.9% overall accuracy. It made up in the hustle board with 19 fastbreak and 21 turnover points, while dishing 21 assists. The whistles blew Taft-ward as well, getting called for only 20 fouls against FEU’s 28.
Marnel Baracael scored 20 points on 7/12 two-point shooting for Far Eastern, going along with eight boards, two steals, and a block. Adolfo and Ric Cawaling were good for ten each, while Reil Cervantes was a point shy of a double-double with 14 rebounds.
De La Salle put behind the embarrassing defeat it suffered from rival University of Santo Tomas a week ago. The green and white are in solo second with a 6-3 standing. FEU is tied with UST at 5-4.
“There is always a first time,” Pumaren looked back. “It was actually a painful lesson but a good experience for us.”
The Archers have a busy week ahead with Adamson University on August 23 at the Araneta Coliseum and University of the Philippines on August 25 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. On the other hand, the green and gold would contend against Ateneo de Manila University on Saturday.
“Each game is important, especially ranking second to fifth. It is neck and neck,” the older Pumaren mentioned. “Parang traffic jam. At this stage, our destiny in entering the final four is in our hands. We are not dependent on other teams.”
UST stuns La Salle (for Aug 11)
Like It’s 1999, Tigers Take A Bite Out Of Archers
Shakedown 1999. It was in that year the last time University of Santo Tomas won against De La Salle University in a UAAP men’s basketball game. And with the way the Growling Tigers came back from the dead and won, 81-73, it was slightly reminiscent of what occurred in the third game of the finals of that same year.From 12 points down, 57-69, 1:57 left in the game, UST coach Pido Jarencio called for time to settle his boys down and plan one last attack.
“Simple naman sinabi ko sa mga bata,” Jarencio recalled during that huddle. “Down by 12 tayo. Masaya iyan.”
Lifted up and challenged by the situation, Dylan Ababou and Anthony Espiritu sniffed for Ferdinand’s two last fouls, making all their freethrows, 61-69, 1:15. After Ty Tang aired a three-pointer, Espiritu converted a three-point play off Tang, :48.9 in regulation.
With barely more than a second after the ball was put into play, Tang got the goat by being whistled for an offensive foul at the backcourt. With a page coming from the Dino Aldeguer miracle playbook, Khasim Mirza stroked one from the summit of the arc, the lead just down to two, 67-69, with still 40 and some seconds in the clock.
Nevertheless, what sent the game into overtime was a Cortez fade off from the side, caroming his own miss, :06.7 to go.
“Up to the last possession, basta consistent at pursigido tayo,” Jarencio told the elated media in the post-game interview.
And the fairy tale does not end in to be continued, as the Tigers scored 12 points in the extra five minutes to wrap up the win and slay the ghost that has haunted them since last millennium.
Not counting the forfeited games DLSU served as part of its penalty for negligence, the last match the Archers lost to Santo Tomas was the first game of the finals on September 30, 1999 at the Philsports Arena, 60-62. That screeched to a halt a 17-game losing streak to one team for the USTe.
“Wala akong pakialam sa talo ng nakaraan,” Jarencio shared. “Natalo ako first round, babawi ako.”
Mirza was co-topscorer with 16 points. Ababou had a double-double with 15 and ten with two assists, four steals, and six errors. Espiritu made 14 and two blocks.
“Sino pa ba aasahin natin?” the witty mentor said of his three play-alike forwards. “Kahit papaano nakakabantay sila ng big man. May quickness pa.”
Jervy Cruz was his old usual self with 16 points, going 6/6 at the freethrow, 18 rebounds, and season-high seven blocks.
JVee Casio led De La Salle with 20 points, making four field goals from the three-point area. Cholo Villanueva missed a double-double with 15 and nine boards along with four steals.
The España-based squad milked the green and white for 36 fouls and 49 freethrows attempts, just two less than its tries in the two-point field, making 29. The Tigers also had 64 rebounds and 12 blocks.
“Wala pa. Pa-arangkada pa lang,” is how Jarencio sees his team.
The black, gold, and white ties the vanquished with a 5-3 standing with University of the Philippines next on tap.
“Basta kami walang mahina, walang malakas,” Jarencio said.
Persistent Archers Take Down Bulldogs (for Aug 4)
De La Salle University survived a day in the doghouse winning, 85-81, against National University at the Cuneta Astrodome on August 4. Rico Maierhofer put the Archers out of sticky situations in the endgame despite playing only for ten game minutes. He was wide open down under for a stab, 1:34 in the game, to have DLSU up, 82-77. Later, he fished Joseph Lingao-Lingao’s fifth foul for two freethrows, grabbing Cholo Villanueva’s short jumper that hit nothing but air.
“It is so hard to play NU with their unorthodox style,” said De La Salle coach Franz Pumaren. “They had open looks, (but) they missed their shots.”
Bader Malabes introduced himself with 18 points, 3/8 from beyond the arc. He was 0/17 from that area prior to the game.
“He is a better shooter than his percentage,” Pumaren rued. “That is why we encourage him to shoot.”
TY Tang had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Villanueva had 11, seven, and six, while James Mangahas had a double-double afternoon with 11 and ten.
Jonathan Fernandez led everyone with 24 points while hauling seven rebounds. Edwin Asoro had an all-around performance of 13 markers, eight boards, five thefts, and two blocks. Both Lingao-Lingao and Jonathan Jahnke finished the first round with 11 points.
The Archers led 12-4 to start the game. However, Jahnke finished a 12-3 run with a three at the buzzer for the Bulldogs, 22-21.
Malabes then scorched seven points in a 14-7 rally to go up, 41-33, in the second period. Villanueva duplicated the spread in the third slice with a reverse layup, 64-56, 3:45. However, Fernandez drove to the middle to scissor down the lead to four, 64-68, less than a minute in the third.
The magic number seemed to be eight as Ferdinand blocked an NU attempt, Jvee Casio taking the leather, advanced upcourt, and fed Tang for a fastbreak layup, 6:37 in the fourth, the Green Archers on top, 74-68.
Michael Salvado tied things up with a nonchalant triple from the summit of the curve, 75-all, less than five minutes to go. Tang found Malabes at the top of the key for a three to create a five-point barricade.
From there, the Jhocson-based squad just scored at the line the rest of the way.
“Two crucial fouls were called against us,” Pumaren mentioned disappointedly. “You do not let the referees decide the outcome. It was away from the ball, there was no effect on the game.”
Maierfoher had an incomplete three-point play after Jahnke made his trip on the line. Maierhofer's trip to the charity were sandwiched by two Fernandez forays at the 15-footer getting both personals from Villanueva.
NU had a chance to send the battle into overtime but Jahnke's attempt from quarter court, hit rim, then went out of bounds. Malabes sealed the count with a split.
The Archers end the first half of the basketball season with a 5-2 win-loss standing. National, on the other hand, is teetering at the lower middle part of the seedings with 3-4.
“We were able to survive,” assessed Pumaren. “Coming into this tournament, I am looking at the top two or three at the least.”
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