The Green Archers failed to follow-up on their impressive season debut as they got bitten hard by the NU Bulldogs today 55-59. The final score though does not reflect the sub-par performance of the team all throughout the match. The energy we expected from the team wasn’t there as they allowed NU to exert their muscle in the paint.
La Salle started the game off bad as they were unable to hit their shots. They ended the first half strong as they led by 1. It was all downhill from thereon as they committed so many lapses on defense aside from their shooting woes. The Archers only scored 6 points in the third period. When the team finally caught fire offensively, there was only a minute left in the match. Too late the hero as they say.
NU’s foreign rookie Emmanuel Mbe was a monster, figuratively speaking as he led all scorers with 21 and collared 19 rebounds. La Salle simply had no answer for Mbe’s strength down low. Cocoy Hermosisma had an offnight but his teammates stepped up and made the shots.
The Green Archers were not their usual selves on both ends. They failed to capitalize on their quickness and allowed NU to dictate the tempo of the game. Anchored on Mbe, the Bulldogs executed a more deliberate style of play thus enabling them to impose their will inside the shaded lane. Yutien was the lone bright spot among our big men. Ferdinand and Maui were completely lost while Jovet was a no-show after a good second quarter.
Simon Atkins was ice cold today after scoring 20 points last Saturday. The shots were just not falling for the Green Archers and this just added up to their frustrations all game long.
NU simply took La Salle out of rhythm today. They are no longer the pushover team we are accustomed with all these years. A loss to them should no longer be considered as a shocker. With a revitalized sports program, expect NU to shake the UAAP landscape in the seasons to come.
For our team, it’s all about consistency. If the Green Archers are to compete in this season, the players who are counted upon to lead should deliver game in and game out.
Box Scores:
NU 59 – Mbe 21, Terso 8, Ponferrada 8, Khobuntin 6, Hermosisima 6, Baloran 4, Javillonar 2, Ignacio 2, Tungcul 2, Ludovice 0, Singh 0, Malanday 0, Magat 0.
DLSU 55 – Mendoza 10, Atkins 9, Andrada 7, Elorde 6, Dela Paz 6, Vosotros 5, Webb 5, Tolentino 3, Villanueva 2, Ferdinand 2, Tampus 0, Paredes 0, Marata 0, Banal 0