La Salle bounces back with explosive blowout of UST

A game after suffering their first loss of Season 80, the DLSU Green Archers bounced back in explosive fashion by blowing out the UST Growling Tigers, 115-86, on Saturday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

In typical DLSU fashion under the Aldin Ayo-coaching era, La Salle raced off to a fast start and this time, unlike the defeat to the Fighting Maroons, did not surrender its lead. Controlling the remainder of the ball game, the Green Archers cruised the rest of the way and improved their record to 4-1 in Season 80.

The 115 points scored by La Salle was the most a UAAP squad put up in a ball game since 2003. It’s the second time this year DLSU put up that kind of a scoring output, with the first one being its victory against NU two weeks ago. The 29-point margin of victory is also the highest so far by a winning team this UAAP season.

Ben Mbala, the reigning league MVP, once again led DLSU with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. Andrei Caracut provided 14 points and 5 assists, while big men Santi Santillan and Prince Rivero finished with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

DLSU was playing without Aljun Melecio (illness), but received a solid output from Kib Montalbo, who had 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 steals. Funnily, Ayo did not insert Ricci Rivero in the game until the final minutes of the fourth period with the game already out of hand.

La Salle shot 52% from the floor and hit 8-of-23 from downtown. DLSU again had issues with turnovers, coughing up 24 for the contest, and was out-rebounded, 51-45.

The Green Archers’ next game is against UE on Wednesday

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