The View From the Armchair – Game 11 vs FEU

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Guess who blinked in the crunch?

In a complete reversal of their first round match with FEU, the Green Archers slugged it out toe-to-toe with the frontrunners for 3 quarters, stayed within striking distance, then played lockdown defense down the homestretch to win comfortably, 80-66. Staring at a 3point deficit at the end of 3 quarters, 54-57, and facing the same team that exposed their inexperience en route to a come-from-behind win in 2 overtimes in their last encounter, the Archers dismantled the league’s best offensive machinery, holding them to almost 11 points below their average of 76.9 points.

With the win, the Archers improved their record to 7-4 and now have a foot in the door of the final 4. Team Captain Simon Atkins bucked a facial cut in the first half to spark the team in the second half, ably supported by rookies Luigi dela Paz and Oda Tampus who also finished in double digits.

For the second straight game, the Archers dumped 80 points on the Tamaraws, but this time we did it in 40 minutes. In contrast, FEU managed only 66 points, proof that it was our defense that was consistently good; they scored 68 against us after 4 quarters in the first round to force the first extension. This time, the Archers would not allow a repeat, clamping down on defense to hold the Tams to 9 points in the final quarter while scoring 26 to win pulling away. The superb team defense the Archers threw at FEU for 40 minutes reduced the Tams to a bunch of individualistic players, who still managed to score but only through their solo efforts.

What went wrong

Although the team played superbly, there are still some things that need fixing.

The team racked up 16 turnovers which FEU converted into 10 points. As the race to the final 4 gets tighter, every point could help determine the outcome of the game. The team can’t afford to give many freebies to the opponents. There were some oops! moments in the game, most notably when Jovet gave Ferdinand a facial as Ferdinand was setting up for a pick. Oda Tampus did have a great offensive game, but he will need to be much more careful with the ball. He usually operates inside the paint, does score, but tends to give back what he scores; yesterday he led the team in TOs with 4.

No Kidding, Green Archers win big against league-leading Tams

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With this morale-boosting 80-66 win over FEU, you can very well say that the Green Archers have already put the disappointment of last week behind them. Playing with renewed energy and focus, La Salle hung tough with the Tams for the first three quarters. And when the right moment came, the backcourt trio of Simon, Oda and Luigi delivered the knock out punch to hand the Tamaraws only their second loss this season.

It was not only a huge win but also a character win as well. Even when everyone thought FEU would pull away at one point after taking an 8 point lead, they were unfazed. The team showed grit and determination, they showed relentless defense and fluid offense for the entire game in contrast to the first game when they wavered in the endgame. FEU’s backcourt duo of Garcia and Romeo, after waxing hot at the beginning of the match were nowhere to be found in the payoff period. Yutien, Papot, Maui and Jovet outhustled the Tam’s big men and did a good job in controlling the boards.

Oda is slowly but surely coming to his own. He may have not topscored for the team, but his daredevil inside incursions ignited a run that enabled the Archers to finally take command of the game and pull away for good. He may just be the slasher-type guy this team badly needs. A Joseph Yeo in the making perhaps.

Props to Simon and Luigi for showing a lot of composure down the stretch. Their timely hits from the outside thwarted any attempt by the Tams to stage another late-game rally similar to their first round encounter.

As we mentioned in our pregame, the Archers can do great things this season with the right mindset. They have already shown that they can beat even the stronger teams. It’s no fluke, this team is for real. If they continue to play like this, we’re in for more surprises.

Boxscores:

DLSU 80 – Atkins 19, de la Paz 12, Tampus 10, Andrada 9, Villanueva 8, Vosotros 5, Mendoza 5, Tolentino 4, Paredes 2, Webb 2, Marata 2, Ferdinand 2.

FEU 66 – Garcia 18, Ramos 14, Romeo 11, Cawaling 8, Cervantes 7, Cruz 2, Sanga 2, Knuttel 2, Bringas 1, Exciminiano 1, Mendoza 9, Noundou 0.

Quarter scoring: 17-21, 34-38, 54-57, 80-66

Pregame: Green Archers vs Tamaraws Round 2

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After being severely beaten by Ateneo in their last outing, La Salle will face another formidable foe in FEU tomorrow. What better way to bounce back from a horrendous performance than to score a win over the league leading Tamaraws whom they almost upset in their first round encounter? During that game, the Green Archers led for most of the way only to falter in the closing minutes in regulation, and they eventually succumbed only after dragging the heavily favored Tams into double overtime.

The team has shown that they can stand toe-to-toe with the UAAP’s best if they put their mind into it. Unfortunately, such confidence was absent last Sunday when the Archers played their worst basketball so far this season. Slow start, falling behind big early, and unable to mount a sustained comeback, it was like watching their losses in the preseason. If they want to get back in the groove of things, the Archers need to regain the same fire and composure that has allowed them to already surpass last year's performance.

It will again be a battle of youth vs experience. Our backcourt will have their hands full against the explosive duo of Garcia and Romeo. Expect a lot of physicality underneath with FEU having the advantage in heft and height. Our shooters, particularly Sam need to regain their touch from the outside if we stand a chance to defeat the Tamaraws. The zone has been the teams’ Achilles heel so they need to do well from the perimeter.

Last Sunday’s debacle is history. And if you think about it, put it into the proper perspective, that was just one game. Bragging rights don't count in the W-L columns, either. So the Green Archers should recoup and set their sights in making a strong push to the final four. After all, when the ball is tossed to start the game tomorrow, the score will be 0-0, and there will be 5 Tams on the floor, just like our starting 5.