Just when we all thought that the Green Archers would haplessly lose to Ateneo again, an unlikely hero stepped up to the challenge. Sam Marata’ two clutch 3-pointers down the stretch helped La Salle overcome a 9-point deficit in the last 3 minutes to escape with a 66-63 win. The Archers have finally broken its 6-game, 2-year UAAP losing streak against their rivals.
We have been longing to see this kind of a game from Sam who has been struggling for consistency with his outside shot since he started playing for La Salle. The sophomore was perfect from the rainbow territory at 4/4 shooting. He and Joshua led Archers with 12 apiece while Simon followed with 9.
The Blue Eagles sure looked like lame ducks during the final minutes. For a team with so much experience in closing out games, this has got to hurt.
It was basically a low-scoring game where neither team was able to pull away or gain any sort of momentum. La Salle struggled with their field goals but kept the game close with their pressure defense on the Blue Eagles. The team did a phenomenal job on Salva, forcing him out of his comfort zone and making him insignificant in this game. They were also able to limit Salamat’s production by making him shoot more from the outside rather than allowing him to penetrate the basket.
Without a legit low-post threat, the Archers defense was evenly spread giving the Eagles minimal looks at the perimeter. This was the team’s problem in the past two years when they had to deal with Al-Husseini who can command double-teams and open up their outside gunners. Yutien, Papot and Jovet were able to mix it up against the taller Ateneo frontline especially on the boards giving the team opportunities to run.
This has got to be a statement win for the Archers. They showed a lot of heart today by refusing to quit even when it seemed like Ateneo was going to run away with another win against us. The Green Archers can definitely contend this year.
Boxscores
DLSU 66 – Webb 12, Marata 12, Atkins 9, Tampus 6, Andrada 6, Dela Paz 5, Tolentino 5, Mendoza 5, Vosotros 3, Villanueva 2, Ferdinand 1, Paredes 0
ADMU 63 – Chua 16, Monfort 11, Long 9, Buenafe 7, Salamat 6, Salva 5, Golla 3, Escueta 2, Dela Cruz 2, Austria 2, Tiongson 0, Gonzaga 0
Quarter Scores: 14-15, 26-30, 46-42. 66-63