DLSU is the 2007 Champions!!!

La Salle Sweeps East In Final Series

Two games, right when it matters most. The De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers are definitely back in the UAAP basketball supremacy as they swept the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors in their best-of-three Finals series with a convincing 73-64 victory on October 7 at the Big Dome.

Finals Most Valuable Player Joseph Evans “JV” Casio led the way for the Green and White community as he was exceptional chipping 17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

Pocholo Villanueva played his last year with a bang as he rewarded himself with an MVP award. He contributed 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

La Salle totally dominated the game as they only let UE lead in the first quarter and after spurring with an 8-1 advantage, the Taft-based squad tightened up and never looked back.

Casio and Villanueva came to life in the fourth. Casio buried a 3-pointer in the 8:20^th minute mark to further increase the DLSU cushion to five points after UE managed to cut the lead with back-to-back 3 point shots from James Martinez and Mark Borboran. Red Warrior Mark Fampulme posted the scare back against the Green Archers as he brought down the lead of the Archers to 2 at 55-53, 8:03 minutes left in the regulation.

Villanueva converted his charities after a Paul Lee foul to further increase the lead at 57-53.

Lee was exceptional despite fouling out in the game as he converted four straight points, two of which were free throws from OJ Cua’s foul. Lee was the main gunner for UE with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist.

Casio split his freebies that gave La Salle a 3-point cushion over UE at 62- 59.

TY Tang’s rebound less than two minutes left in regulation was crucial as he fished another foul from Lee, forcing the latter to commit his fifth and final foul. The former converted his freebies to increase the lead of the Archers at 64-59.

Borboran missed his free throws after a Cua foul. Casio nailed buzzer-beater 2-pointer less than a minute left. Borboran converted 12 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists.

Marcy Arellano converted with a field goal to cut the UE bleeding at 66-61.

Casio connected with two more free throws coming off a Jorel Canizares foul 40.7 ticks left. The Archers were on top by 7 points at 68-61.

Arellano was also fouled out giving Cua the opportunity to shoot 2 freebies, 24.1 ticks left.

Casio split his free throws to give La Salle a further icing on the cake.

Martinez converted the last field goal for the Warriors.

Rico Maierhofer wrapped the victory of the Archers with his 2-free throws.

Canizares was the main man for the Recto-based squad in the third quarter. He nailed a field goal that gave the Red and White squad a lift as they cut the Archers’ lead by 3 at 46-43.

Bader Malabes completed his free throws that gave La Salle a 5-point bubble at 48-43.

Tang shot his freebies 9 seconds left giving La Salle a 7-point margin at the end of the third quarter.

La Salle was in total control of the second quarter as it posted the biggest lead of the game at 30-16 with Villanueva completing his free throws, 2:43 minutes left in the half.

La Salle was still on top in the second quarter at 34-23 outscoring the Warriors 19-12.

UE blasted with an 8-1 advantage courtesy of its veterans, Elmer Espiritu, Borboran and Kelvin Gregorio.

La Salle managed to crawl back slowly fishing fouls from Martinez, Lee and Rudy Lingganay.

The Taft-based squad was in the lead 15-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Villanueva was very happy being crowned as the Finals MVP alongside JV Casio. He is leaving La Salle through graduation with a Finals stint under his belt and an MVP award. Cholo said “It was really a sort of redemption for our part with this win and it’s a pretty game to end my college years and I thank God for it. We were out for a Season but we came back, we proved to them that we are one and we stand for what we believed in.”