Despite missing two key players, the DLSU Green Archers delivered perhaps the most significant victory of their UAAP Season 88 campaign so far, stopping Finals rival UP to end the first round.
Short-handed but never short of heart.
Refusing to fold, the DLSU Green Archers carved out a gutsy 72-69 victory over defending champion UP in their first game without both Kean Baclaan and Mason Amos, securing their first win streak of UAAP Season 88 Sunday at the Big Dome.
[ALSO READ: Inspired La Salle cools off defending champion UP in UAAP Finals rematch]
Luis Pablo led four La Salle players in double figures with 14 points, while team captain Mike Phillips added a strong 12-point, 19-rebound double-double as the Green Archers get a measure of revenge after losing last year's Finals to the Fighting Maroons.
“Going into the game, wala akong mindset na to score or to do this or that because clear naman yung role ko sa team. He told me what my role is, and my mindset was just to fulfill that role — whatever my coach T [Topex Robinson] wants me to do,” Pablo said.
In a back-and-forth affair, the pivotal moment came with 41 seconds left in regulation, when Vhoris Marasigan cleaned up an Earl Abadam miss to give La Salle a 71-69 lead.
From there, the Green Archers buckled down on defense en route to forcing a three-way logjam with Ateneo and UP at 4-3, occupying the third to fifth places in the standings.
Test of character
La Salle entered the marquee duel against the surging Fighting Maroons missing two key players, with Amos and Baclaan both nursing knee injuries.
Mason Amos was limited to being a spectator in the DLSU-UP Finals rematch due to a MCL injury | Photo: The UAAP
Instead of sulking, the Green Archers played with unwavering resolve, leading to arguably their signature win of the season so far.
“It’s really a character game. We just competed, valuing each and every possession was very important. Obviously, the guys just didn’t give up,” said head coach Topex Robinson.
And it showed as La Salle dominated inside, holding a 54-45 advantage in the paint and limiting UP to just 34 percent shooting. The Green Archers also turned 24 Fighting Maroons miscues into 17 points.
Harold Alarcon had 13 markers to lead UP, who saw their four-game win streak end at hands of recent Finals rivals.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.