Fresh from their six-point loss to the University of the East just last Saturday, De La Salle University made sure that no repeat win will be scored by their erstwhile tormentor. The Green Archers successfully regrouped to score a convincing victory over the UE Red Warriors, 70-61 at the start of the second round of eliminations of Season 71 of the UAAP Men’s Senior Basketball at the Araneta Coliseum.
The good thing about La Salle losing is that they come back stronger the next game. And this is exactly what happened in the Archers-Warriors second round game
The Green Archers conquered their runner-up last season despite the absence of key players Simon Atkins and Marko Batricevic, who suffered major injuries in their Saturday game against the Red Warriors.
“This is for Simon and Marko. It was a great effort on my players. They played well, especially the veterans, JV, Rico and James,” said Coach Franz Pumaren in the post-game interview.
The defending champions had a slow start scoring only 12 points in the first quarter and even trailed the Recto-based squad by as much as 7 points, 8-15. But the Green Archers recovered in the 2nd quarter anchored on the 7 point-explosion of main man JV Casio to tie the count at 20-all early in the 2nd. It was a ping-pong match, with both teams trading baskets until the LA Revilla steal and a completed fast break play, 2:53 left in the quarter, jumpstarted the Green Archers’ offense anew, with a 9-2 run which had the Archers grabbing the lead at halftime, 36-30.
After halftime, swingman Marcy Arellano surprised the Archer defense and unloaded 3 straight baskets and together with a jumper from Raffy Reyes, equalize the game anew at 38-38, 6:45 left in the quarter. The Green Archers were scoreless for 3 minutes until JV Casio sank a trey to breath life into the scant offense of the Green Archers. Veterans Rico Maierhofer, Peejay Barua, and James Managahas starred as the Green Archers erected an 11 point lead. And it had been the Green Archers since then.
The Green Archers cruised through the final quarter and maintained their double digit lead en rout to their 70-61 conquest of the Red Warriors
THE SCORES:
DLSU 70 – Casio 25, Maierhofer 11, Mangahas 9, Barua 9, Revilla 6, Villanueva 4, Mendoza 4, Walsham 2, Webb 0, Malabes 0, Bagatsing 0
UE 61 – Arellano 13, Llagas 11, Reyes 10, Zamar 5, Lingganay 5, Thiele 5, Martinez 5, Lee 4, Espiritu 3, Noble 0, Etrone 0, Bandaying 0
Quarter Scores: 12-15, 36-30, 53-46, 70-61