Archers tame Tigers to grab solo second

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Despite losing a huge margin, the Green Archers showed enough endgame poise down the stretch to defeat the UST Tigers 61-53 today. La Salle displayed cool resolve in the face of a fiery comeback by UST led by Clark Bautista. The third-year guard erupted with a barrage of three-pointers as UST trimmed La Salle’s once 20-plus lead to as low as 4 points approaching the late stages of the match. But thanks to the steady playmaking of Simon, Almond, Joel and the timely baskets of Jovet and Maui from underneath, the Archers thwarted any last attempts by the Tigers to seize control of the game to finally seal the win.

Going into the final period, La Salle appeared to have the game in hand especially the way they hounded UST’s offense and inflicted so many turnovers. They got a bit relaxed on defense as they left Bautista with several open looks and allowed Camus room for him to take it strong to the ring. The FEU game last Thursday should serve as a lesson to the team never to lose focus and play heads-up basketball for 40 minutes.

Overall, it was good win for the Archers. They pounded it inside and used their size advantage against the thin UST frontline. Fortuna and Teng’s production were limited thanks to the superb defense by our backcourt. If it were not for Bautista’s three spree, it would have been a complete offensive shutdown for the Tigers.

Good solid game from Maui, Jovet, Yutien and Papot. They have been the silent workhorses for La Salle and they will be counted upon to provide stability to the team’s frontline in the succeeding games this season.

The Green Archers will close out their first round campaign next Sunday as they go up against the Adamson Falcons. A win will solidify their hold on second place heading to the next phase of the tournament.

Pregame: Green Archers vs Growling Tigers

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Still reeling from last Thursday’s double overtime loss to FEU, the Green Archers will next face the streaky Growling Tigers this Sunday. UST is the only team La Salle was able to defeat twice last season. This is the team they have consistently beaten for the past 9 seasons. The Archers’ only loss to the Tigers in the 2000s was in Season 70 when UST wiped-out a double digit deficit with only a minute remaining to escape with an overtime win.

The Growling Tigers are coming off a win over NU last Thursday. They love to shoot the three-ball so much that they have basically made it their primary offensive option. So far they have been doing well as they lead the league in conversions beyond the arc. Even their big guys have the ability to shoot from the perimeter. They are starting to mirror the image of their coach who was known for his accuracy from downtown during his playing days.

Match-ups

UST’s frontline is as thin as ever. Camus and Afuang are the only experienced bigs in the team and they don’t even play low-post. Finally, we could very well say that La Salle has the advantage here and I don’t see any reason why our guys can’t control the boards and score heavily in the paint. The Archers should make the most of their size advantage and pound it inside.

The Tigers are solid in the backcourt with gunners Fortuna, Teng and Bautista. These three have been scoring in droves as of late and have been consistent with their shots from the outside. Wingmen Mariano and rookie Daquioang have also the ability to hit those jumpers. Though they can match up quite well in quickness and perimeter scoring, the Archers’ advantage is that our guards can also take it strong to the hoop.

Expect UST to do the same run-and-gun offense so the challenge is to effectively defend them from the outside and not giving their shooters clear looks. Without any inside presence, the Tigers need to wax hot from the perimeter in order to win. They Archers should be wary of their bigmen who can also run the floor and score from medium range. Take note that UST's losses so far came from teams with good inside scoring. If La Salle maximizes their interior presence and keeps their defense going, they will be in good shape to win here.