With key players Kean Baclaan and Mason Amos sidelined by injuries, a depleted De La Salle University squad rose to the occasion, delivering its best performance yet in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Counted out by many due to their inconsistent showing in the first round, the Green Archers stunned modern-day rivals University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 72-69, to end the first round on a high note, Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In a finish reminiscent of their Finals battles over the past two seasons, the game once again went down to the wire — with unlikely hero Vhoris Marasigan taking center stage.
After Earl Abadam missed a triple, Marasigan was perfectly positioned for the putback that gave La Salle a 71-69 lead with 47.5 seconds left.
UP had chances to respond, but Gani Stevens and Francis Nnoruka both missed close-range attempts.
Mike Phillips then split his free throws on the other end to seal the final count with 13.1 seconds remaining.
With one last possession to force overtime, UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde fielded Rey Remogat, Stevens, Chicco Briones, Harold Alarcon, and Terrence Fortea.
The ball swung to Briones for a wide-open triple, but his shot missed, allowing Jacob Cortez to secure the rebound and dribble out the clock for the gutsy La Salle victory — one that snapped UP’s four-game winning streak.
“It’s a really good character for both of us,” said Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson.
“We were both struggling at the start and it did not show any roughness or shyness in the game, we just competed. There’s gonna be challenges, we’ve been challenged lately but obviously the guys just didn’t give up and really gave us a good fight,” he added.
La Salle ended the first round with a 4-3 record, creating a three-way tie for third place with UP and Ateneo de Manila University. National University led the standings at 6-1, followed by University of Santo Tomas at 5-2.
Based on the quotient system, UP will be ranked third, followed by La Salle and Ateneo.
“Super thankful. We owe it to Kean and Mason. It’s hard na they’re not with us in the court so every game, we offer it to them, we owe it to them. They may not be in the court with us but their hearts and spirits are always with us. Super happy na we got this win but we’re far from over,” said Luis Pablo, who turned in his best game of the season against his former school.
Pablo led all scorers with 14 points and added six rebounds, while Cortez, Phillips, and EJ Gollena each chipped in 12 points.
Cortez also contributed six assists, five rebounds, and two steals, while Phillips dominated the boards with 19 rebounds, alongside four assists and a steal.
Abadam provided a steady spark with nine points, four rebounds, and two assists, including five crucial points in the final two minutes that kept the game tied.
Marasigan finished with five points and eight rebounds, but none were more crucial than his final bucket and board.
For UP, Harold Alarcon led the way with 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, though all his scoring came in the first half.
Gerry Abadiano and Nnoruka also tallied 12 points apiece, with the latter adding 14 rebounds and three blocks, while Fortea sank four triples to finish with 12 points in the loss.
The Scores:
DLSU (72) – Pablo 14, Cortez 12, Phillips 12, Gollena 12, Abadam 9, Marasigan 5, Dungo 4, Daep 2, Macalalag 1, Nwankwo 1.
UP (69) – Alarcon 13, Abadiano 12, Nnoruka 12, Fortea 12, Remogat 7, Stevens 4, Bayla 2, Torres 2, Belmonte 2, Alter 2, Palanca 1, Yniguez 0, Briones 0.
Quarterscores: 20-27, 46-41, 57-60, 72-69
