DLSU avenges loss to UP
FEU Tamaraws halt losing skid, win over UST Growling Tigers
THE defending champions De La Salle Green Archers exacted payback on the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons for an earlier defeat in Season 80 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), winning, 85-62, in their reengagement yesterday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan Ciity.
Learning from their 98-87 defeat in the opening round, the Archers came out with more energy and played with a sense of urgency to level their season series with the Maroons.
Earlier in the day, Season 80 hosts Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws wiggled out of a two-game losing streak with a rout of a victory over the still-winless University of Santo Tomas ( UST) Growling Tigers, 96-70.
La Salle and UP went back and forth to start the match, fighting to a 15-14 affair, with the Archers on top, midway into the opening period.
The Archers then would wax hot from the outside, care of Kib Montalbo and Aljun Melecio, to sprint to a 24-14 separation at the end of the first 10 minutes of the contest.
In the second period, reigning league most valuable player Ben Mbala started to make his presence felt more.
That, along with La Salle’s vaunted pressing defense, made it hard for UP to make a solid headway, affording the Archers to jack up their lead at the halftime lull, 51-27.
The Maroons came out with more fight in the third period behind playmaker Jun Manzo, who poured in 13 points of his team’s total output in the frame.
La Salle though would continue to hold sway in the end, 65-45.
UP opened the first two minutes of the payoff canto with a 6-0 run to cut La Salle’s lead to just 14 points, 65-51.
Back- to- back baskets from Mbala and Santi Santillan after gave the Archers more breathing space, 70- 51.
The Maroons scrambled to recover anew but the Archers proved just too tough on both ends as they marched their way to the victory.
Mbala paced La Salle (7-2) with 27 points to go along with 14 rebounds while Ricci Rivero added 20 points. Montalbo finished with 12 points.
UP (4-5), meanwhile, was led by Manzo with 13, all coming in the third period.
Ibrahim Ouattara had nine while Paul Desiderio and Juan Gomez de Liano each had seven markers.
“Everybody I think played their roles well today. We had a game plan against UP after the first-round loss and I think we were able yo execute it,” said Mbala after their win.
The Archers return on Saturday, Oct. 21, to take on the Adamson Soaring Falcons while the Maroons return on Oct. 22 against the University of the East Red Warriors.
TAMARAWS WIN
Meanwhile, in the first game, FEU halted a two-game losing streak that effectively stymied their push for the top of the standings with a convincing win over UST.
Right from the get-go, there was no denying what the Morayta-based Tamaraws wanted to accomplish as they wasted no time pounding on their opponents.
They raced to a 29-16 lead after one period before doubling it to a 26- point cushion at the halftime break, 53-27.
The FEU juggernaut continued at the start of the third frame, outscoring UST, 13-3, in the first two and a half minutes to pad their lead to 36 points, 66-30.
UST tried to claw its way back but still found itself languishing at the end of the third canto, 81-46.
With the win already in the bag, the Tamaraws gave playing time to their bench but even the auxiliaries
showed no let up as they brought home the win.
Kenneth Tuffin led a balanced attack by FEU with 14 points fol lowed by Arvin Tolentino with 14 and Jasper Parker with 10 points and five assists.
Veteran Ron Dennison finished with nine points, four rebounds and four assists for the Tamaraws.
On the part of UST, who played sans key cogs Steve Akomo and Jor dan Sta. Ana, it was Wendell De Guz man and Jeepy Faundo who led with 17 points apiece while also tallying double digits in rebounds with the former grabbing 10 and the latter 13 boards.
“We shot well today and our ball movement was there. It was a big win for us,” said FEU coach Olsen Racela after their victory.
With the win, FEU swung back inside the top four with a 5-4 record while UST slid further to 0-9 for the season.