Though it was not quite the ending we all wanted, the Green Archers truly gave their best shot this season despite the many obstacles that came along the way. They went down fighting and played like champions. In victory or defeat, we will forever be proud of our team. As a tribute, we have compiled some of our best game photos to showcase the drama and the emotion of the team’s campaign this year.

This also highlights our first year of covering the Green Archers in the UAAP. We would like to thank all those who supported us all season long. To the entire La Sallian community as well as our dear friends from the other school who seem to love this site too, thank you for making greenarchers.ph a part of your regular surfing habit. You are all responsible for making our first year a success. ALL FOR THE LOVE OF OUR ALMA MATER. Cheers!

The Green Archers failed to get a running start and lost to the Blue Eagles, 61-69 last Sunday in the first game of the UAAP championship playoffs. After matching Ateneo for most of the first half, the Archers allowed Ateneo to grab the initiative at the start of the 2nd half, which Blue Eagles used to build a double digit lead that the Archers could not surmount in time. Ateneo center Rabeh Al-Hussaini was the biggest (literally!) thorn in the side of the Archers, as he singlehandedly scored almost half of Ateneo’s points with 31 on an assortment of one-on-one drives, putbacks, and medium range jumpers.

The first half defense was good and forced numerous Ateneo turnovers, except for the defensive lapse at the end of the 2nd quarter which allowed Ateneo to build its largest lead of the game (7 points) at halftime. In the second half, Ateneo managed to score enough points to hold off the repeated rallies of the Archers.

Ateneo obviously prepared for the standard Archer sets to free up shooters on the perimeter, particularly at the corners, so most of the long shots were around the top …