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.”

La Salle halts UE's winning season!!!

GONE

La Salle unmasked University of the East’s lack of championship experience as the Archers pulled through in a nerve-wracking finish, 64-63, and snapped the Warriors’ unbeaten run in Game One of the best-of-three UAAP title series at the packed Araneta Coliseum.

TY Tang unleashed 17 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, while fellow veterans JV Casio and Cholo Villanueva added 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the Archers took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series the Warriors were fancied to dominate.

Rico Maeirhofer, who has recovered from a sprained ankle he sustained two weeks ago, split his charities with 14 seconds remaining in the contest to shatter a 63-all tie forced by Mark Borboran’s three-pointer from way out.

That, however, turned out to be the marginal basket as the Warriors fumbled on their make-or-break play – another Borboran attempt from behind the arch on top of the key.

“Man for man, we’re no match against them. But we have the experience and the veteran savvy to offset our disadvantages,” said La Salle coach Franz Pumaren whose Archers came off two tough Final Four matches with the Ateneo Eagles.

The Taft-based quintet, which came into the final the clear underdogs after getting swept in the elimination round by the Warriors, goes for its own sweep Sunday, also at the Big Dome.

A decider, if necessary, is on Wednesday.

UE, which last won 22 years ago during the days of Allan Caidic and Jerry Codiñera and which took a three-week long layoff after sweeping the elims, actually had two chances of stealing Game 1 but a three-point try by Borboran and Marcy Arellano’s tip in the dying seconds missed their marks.

Maierhofer plucked the rebound as the final buzzer sounded, triggering off a wild celebration from La Salle fans while silencing the UE side which braced for another romp against a team it dominated in the elims.

But the Archers, also out to redeem themselves from a season-long suspension last year, showed experience and grace under pressure are what it takes to win championship games.

La Salle’s defense rattled the normally cool and unruffled UE quintet as the Warriors turned the ball over 31 times, which the Archers translated into 25 points. La Salle committed only 15 errors that yielded just nine points.

That more than made up for La Salle’s setback in the rebounding department where the Warriors plucked a whopping total of 60 boards, including 29 on the offensive end as against the Archers’ 31.

La Salle’s rebound total was the lowest for a winning team this season.

That, however, hardly mattered.

It was also UE’s lowest scoring total of the season.

“I know they dominated the boards but we found some ways to offset it,” said Franz Pumaren, who steered La Salle to eight finals appearances that netted four titles.

Borboran, playing on final season, led the Warriors with 13 points, including a triple over the outstretched arms of Villanueva that knotted the count with 34.8 ticks left.

But the veteran Warrior couldn’t drain an uncontested three-point shot at endgame that could’ve lifted the UE side.

The Recto-based cagers actually threatened to rip the game apart in the early going, but each time, the Archers displayed a big fighting heart behind Villanueva, Tang, Casio and Maeirhofer.

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.

UE Humbles La Salle!

It had to happen. It was a battle of the undefeated teams; and at the end, one team would remain at the peak of the mountain while the other will be humbled with their first ever defeat this season. Unfortunately for the Lasallian community, it had to be the Green Archers who were on the receiving end of a furious rally by the Red Warriors.
The game was on the route for the expected nail-biting finish for the two projected UAAP Finals contenders, as the score remained close with both teams exchanging blows for the first 25 minutes of the game. JV Casio was on fire early on, draining three 3-pointers along with numerous jump shots and break away lay-ups against a bedazzled UE defense. The Red Warriors on the other hand responded by scoring on almost every possession, despite the physical Green Archer defense. Towards the end of the 3rd quarter, the Green Archers seemed to run out of gas, and the Red Warriors inversely pumped up the momentum and continued to pull away until the lead became insurmountable by any desperate attempts by Franz Pumaren’s squad.
Midway through the fourth quarter, JV Casio raised three of his fingers towards Ty Tang, presumably signaling jacking up three-point attempts. Indeed, that was entirely the case. Franz Pumaren seemed to have pushed the panic button and asked the Archers to start launching three-pointers with a little over 5 minutes left in the game. The Green Archers followed, although their hopes and prayers never came to life. Their futile attempt for a hopeful rally never materialized, and the Archers found themselves in a deeper hole; deep enough for the team to finally concede in the wanning minutes of the game.
Jorel Canizares headed the all-out attack for the UE Red Warriors as he led 8 players with 8 or more points with a season-high, 15 points, after averaging only 2 points per game through the season. The star Warrior, Marcy Arellano, did not have to do much in the game as all his teammates picked up the slack to cruise past the Green Archers.
The De La Salle Green Archers were led by JV Casio’s 17 points, with majority of his points coming in his 1st half outburst. A questionable coaching decision is being raised against coach Franz Pumaren for benching JV Casio, given the fact that Casio was red hot from the field. Rico Maierhofer also displayed a valiant effort with 15 points and 11 rebounds, accompanied by beautiful defensive plays against some Red Warriors who were hoping for easy baskets. The Green Archers turned the ball over 22 times, against the Warriors’ 14.
The Green Archers will try to redeem themselves against their classic rivals, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, on Thursday. Keep an eye out for an angry Green Archer team that is hungry for victory.
Animo La Salle!