2009 September | De La Salle Green Archers

Sep 4
200911:04 pm

Pregame Bullets: DLSU vs FEU 9/5

Posted by GREENARCHERS.PH

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First here are some postgame quotes from last Thursday's game
Franz Pumaren

On the game today:
“This might still be doable (final 4 slot berth). Of course we still are dependent on the other teams and we still have to win the next 2 games”
On James Mangahas' performance:
“He played well, he responded to the challenge, maybe you are wondering how come I put him late in the game, normally he comes off the bench, but during the 1st 2 quarters you can see the young guys played well that's why I was not able to give an opportunity to him to play. That is a mark of a good player, sitting on the bench the longest time but accepting the challenge. I think we were fortunate right now to finish the game strong. As you see looking back on the games we lost, we lost during the crucial part of the game. Being a young team, I think that is understandable, but of course we try to learn from our mistakes.”
On their Final 4 hopes:
”Well we have to take care of our own business first. We have to pray that the other teams would be able to beat UST, Adamson and UE. Our destiny is not in our hands right now, UE also need to realize that they still have a good chance of getting the twice to beat, why? because we play FEU, if we were lucky enough to beat the top FEU, they will go down 3 losses, and remember they still have to beat Ateneo. So worst case scenario, UE has a good chance to gain the twice to beat advantage”
On James Mangahas again:
“Well let’s put it this way. it has been a roller coaster ride for him, I think what we need right now is consistency. Through experience we will be able to learn to play consistently”
On being able to beat UST this season
”I think we match up pretty well with UST, they don’t really have a pretty dominant big guy, they have a more of a swing type big guy, well I think that is an advantage that we can match up with him.”
On their game against FEU this Saturday:
“It’s gonna be tough, like what i mention, they are playing well, I think they are on a mission this year. They are loaded with veteran players and you can say that RR is not a rookie dahil 3rd year college na yan. It is gonna be hard, but it is still doable”
On the team’s new haido:
“Well it is not a sort of punishment; it is solidarity among the players to show that we are on one goal, to finish the season strong”

James Mangahas

On his game today:
“Last few days parang hindi ako nag reresponse, buti today nabigyan ulit ako ng chance para ipakita ung skills ko”
On his winning 3-pointer:
“Parang nakita ko ung clock winding down na then nasa isip ko na makuha ung bola and gagawa ako way para mashoot yung bola tapos nakita ko ayun may space kaya tinira ko kompyansa nalang na papasok ung 3”
On their Final 4 hopes:
”Oo kaya lalaban tayo!”
On their game against FEU this Saturday:
“Sila ung pinaka veteran na team dito sa UAAP. Madami silang veteran na players. Basta gagawin namin lahat ng capabilities namin and play as a team, lalaban kami sa kanila.”
On not being fielded in during the first half:
”Sabi ni coach Franz chinachallenge niya ako. Hindi ako nawalan ng pag asa. Alam ko na anytime huhugutin niya ako from the bench kahit hindi na niya ako ginamit ng 1st half, actually 4th quarter na ako ginamit and nag response naman.”

Now for tomorrow's game

The Bald Archers have finally shaken those cobwebs in yesterday’s hard-earned victory over UST. Now within striking distance on the Growling Tigers for the last Final 4 slot, the team will have their hands full against the much tougher FEU Tamaraws this Saturday.
The Tams defeated the Archers 65-51 last July 18 and it will definitely take a lot more effort that the previous game to hurdle these guys. Despite already being sure of a slot in the Final 4, the Tams are still not assured of a twice to beat edge yet so they will take this game as seriously as the Archers.
The Archers’ outside sniping clicked last time around. Problem is, it that fails, we don’t have too much inside offense to rely upon. It is critical that they remain hot from the perimeter.
Barring any unexpected outcome in their final assignment against NU, this game against FEU has got to be the biggest challenge for the Archers if they don’t want their season to end before the Cheerdance Competition. A loss against the Tams may just be the final straw in this roller coaster season 72.

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Sep 4
20091:27 pm

The View from the Armchair: Game 12 vs UST

Posted by Nel

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One down, two to go. Another cliffhanger victory against a tough UST squad that was all primed to shut the door on the Archers' chances to enter the final 4. As was widely rumored before the game, the Archers all came with shaven heads in a sign of unity, and their shared objective showed in the fire and passion they injected into their game yesterday.

Twas a game of streaks and runs. In the second quarter, the Archers displayed the fluid basketball game and high impact defense they are known for to build a lead that went up to 18 points before UST scored twice to bring it down to 12 at the half. And the ugly 3rd quarter that allowed UST to climb all the way back from that double digit deficit to catch the Archers at 43-all, in the process holding us to a solitary point in that stretch.

At the end, it was the veterans who showed what desire is all about. James came up big in the second half after riding the bench for the entire first half to almost singlehandedly drive back the repeated charges of the Tigers. Peejay sank his first two attempts, played honest defense, and even did a belly flop in the second half to grab a loose ball.

What went right

The sense of urgency. In contrast to previous games, the Archers came out aggressively, attacking UST at every opportunity. After all, a loss to UST would have resulted in outright elimination from the final 4 for the first time in recent memory. Again, for the first time in a while, the Archers led in the first half and even threatened to turn the game into a blow out, as their 3point shooting clicked and the fast paced game forced the Tigers to repeatedly backpedal.

The 3point shot re-emerged as a potent weapon of the Archers, getting almost half of the total score from long distance. The Archers hit 10 (34.5%) of their 29 attempts.

The defensive intensity was also ratcheted up a couple of notches. The interior defense, in particular, kept the Tigers at bay and turned them into a jump shooting team whenever they couldn't run a fastbreak. The team registered 7 blocks on the Tigers, 3 by Yutien, who also altered several other shots. The team effectively covered the passing lanes, again led by Yutien who stole the ball twice. Fittingly, it was a defensive stop which sealed the game for us: Ababou's last attempt was blocked by James as he tried to bull his way past 3 Archers.

The younger players played well during their stints in the first half, allowing Franz the luxury of sitting his veterans James and Bader. However, when UST threatened, he put in James who responded aggressively for the first time in several games. James went for his shot, choosing his spots, and collected 15 points in only 13 minutes. Joel pumped in double digits for the second straight game on top of 6 rebounds and 3 assists and 2 steals. Sam broke out of his mini slump, firing 8 points on a couple of treys and a field goal.

The improved team spirit saw the Archers share the ball well, resulting in 14 assists. Both of James' triples came off good assists from Joel, who found James free at the perimeter.

What didn't go so well

The 3rd quarter, when the Archers allowed UST to make a game of it. Perhaps they tried too hard, but consecutive turnovers gave the Tigers most of their 13 turnover points. In fact, the Archers had more turnovers with 19 against UST's 16. Some of the turnovers occurred on the perimeter. The tendency to commit travel errors is still there for the perimeter players like Joshua, as well as charging fouls as our players either use their shoulders or push off with their arms in an attempt to make space for their penetrations.

Foul shooting woes reappeared. The Archers shot 12/26, with Yutien making only 1/6 and Hyram 1/4. If they had converted even half of those that they missed, the game might not have been so close. The Archers also surrendered too many fouls, getting into foul trouble early and gifting UST with 36 ft attempts. Again, if not for the unnecessary fouls, UST would not have been able to climb back into the game.

Rebounding could also have been improved. The Archers allowed UST to pull down 21 offensive boards, pretty high for a team with undersized centers and power forwards.

Again, UST caught our players napping with quick inbounds after we score. They tried this in the first round, and UE also attempted it in our previous game.

The rookie watch

For the second straight game, Joel showed that he has the makings of a great point guard. He brings quickness and speed, and gives his teammates the assurance that he can get them the ball in their preferred positions with his good passing skills. Aside from his ball handling and distribution, Joel can shoot from long range and penetrate as well. Yutien's growing defensive prowess made things difficult for UST in the paint, as he blocked a few shots and forced the Tigers to alter several others. His positioning is good, and he's not afraid to take shots inside the paint. However, he needs to improve his free throw shooting. Sam mixed up his shooting distances, hitting a couple of treys as well as a field goal closer in. If he can improve his penetration and footspeed, he'll be the compete player. Arvie again nailed a triple, but was too "gigil" and forced a couple of offensive plays. Perhaps he needs to be set up inside instead of on the perimeter. Gab played for a short stretch, and Jed failed to see any action.

Looking forward

One down, two to go. What's in our control is only our remaining 2 games, tomorrow against FEU, and our last game against NU. If we win both, we end up with a 7-7 record. And hope that UST loses at least one more game against either ADU or UE. UST is now at 6-6, just a game ahead of our 5-7.

If the boys play with the same intensity and fire, we have a good chance against FEU tomorrow. It's down to execution of the game plans. And how much the players want to get into the final 4.

KEEP THE FAITH!!!

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Sep 3
200910:27 pm

Postgame Bullets: DLSU 68 UST 64

Posted by GREENARCHERS.PH

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Finally! After almost a month of agony, the Green Archers at last registered their 5th win of the season. Despite a disappointing 2nd half start wherein the Tigers clawed back from a double digit halftime lead, the team still had enough will and sheer determination to pull through and keep their final four hopes alive.
Just when we all though that he would be benched for the entire game, veteran James Mangahas finally unleashed his venom in the 2nd half which stung the Tigers’ chance of a comeback and sealing their spot in the semifinals.
James and Bader were not fielded in during the first half. Coach Franz surely sent a strong message to these guys but eventually they all got a chance to strut their wares later on. Just goes to show that no matter what, the Archers will live and die with our veterans leading the charge.
Defense was good, holding UST to just 64 points, 30 in the first half and 34 in the second. UST is one of the highest scoring teams in the tournament. However, the defensive intensity has to be maintained for the full 40 minutes, not just short stretches.
For the second straight game, Joel ably quarterbacked the offense, and was a key factor in helping the Archers erect that 18 point lead in the first half. It was his assist to a wide open James that enabled that Mangahas triple that created separation in the last few seconds.
Free throw woes returned to haunt the team. If not for the misses, the Archers would have built enough of a cushion and the game would not have been the nail biter that it was.
Turnovers hurt the team early in the 2nd half, enabling UST to tie the game at 43-all. Overeagerness, plus the pressure exerted by the UST rally contributed to the spate of errors. The Archers scored only 6 points in the 3rd quarter after compiling 42 points in the first half. Fortunately, the entry of James somewhat steadied the team, and they were able to battle UST on even terms for the remainder of the game.

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Sep 2
20093:54 pm

Pregame Bullets: DLSU vs UST 9/3

Posted by GREENARCHERS.PH

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^^^ Its been quite a while since we saw this kind of celebration from the team.
In search of their first win in over a month to keep their Final 4 hopes alive, the beleaguered Green Archers will face the last team they have conquered. A lot is at stake for both La Salle and UST and if their last encounter was extremely intense, tomorrow’s game may be just the same as well. Hopefully, though, minus the extra moves that almost resulted in suspensions of some key players.
It was all downhill for the Archers after their double overtime win against the Tigers in the first round. UST on the other hand has been in a up and down situation but was able to muster enough wins to occupy the 4^th spot with a 2 game lead over the Archers.
The scenarios have already been repeatedly discussed in past articles and we cannot stress enough the importance of this game for us. Again, the team’s fate now out their hands, but to stay in the running for the last playoff slot, they should win all their last 3 games.
Unfortunately, the Archers will have to play without Simon Atkins who sustained a foot injury which will probably sideline him already for rest of the season. This leaves Joel Tolentino as the only legit playmaker.
It has been reported that the entire team has shaved their heads. Will no hair translate to more wins? We could only hope that their being bald will make them become bold from hereon. AN1MO!

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