La Salle just scratching the surface of its potential

I bet most of you are still in awe from that offensive show put on by the Green Archers last Saturday. Like seriously, no one saw that coming – probably not even the players and coaches themselves.

That 110-point game was not only entertaining (and relaxing) to watch, it also proves that the team is not lacking in players that can make an impact on the offensive end. The talent is definitely there, it’s just now a matter of how they can bring it out consistently especially that we are already in the crucial juncture of the season. But as much as we want them to have this same kind of scoring performance in their coming matches, it’s gonna be hard especially against the stronger opponents.

What we want to see though is that they get their offensive flow going right from the start of the match. With the right execution and confidence, it would set them up for good percentage shots. The points will come if they continue to ‘do the right things’ and once they get their bearings early, they will put themselves in a prime position to win.

With three games left in the elimination round, the Green Archers look to strengthen its hold on the third spot in the standings. With a 1.5 game lead over UP and FEU, it’s a must that they win their remaining matches to not just gain an outright entry in the Final 4 but also have a shot in getting a twice-to-beat edge. They just trail second place Adamson Soaring Falcons by a game so anything is still possible.

La Salle is in for tough three-game, eight day stretch starting with also-ran NU tomorrow. Both teams slugged it out in their first round encounter with the Green Archers prevailing 80-76 behind a career performance by Justine Baltazar. During that time, our win then was considered by many as an upset as the Bulldogs were billed as a top 4 team. Did not turn out that way as they have only won 3 games so far in the tournament.

As they say, one should never underestimate a team with nothing to lose. The pressure is on the Green Archers to win this game so they need to remain focused and determined. They are a different team now since they last faced the Bulldogs so we can expect them to execute better and try not to make this another close fight.

After watching their last game, we can all agree that this team can still get better. Being in a position to compete for a twice-to-beat is quite a remarkable achievement already. We have not yet seen how this team can perform in full strength so in essence, they are just scratching the surface as to how good they can be.

Exciting times ahead.

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