Austria nails game-winner to end Green Archers’ losing streak
The De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers came out on top after a thrilling showdown against the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 81–78, earlier today at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
The win breaks La Salle’s four-game skid which dates back to their first-round matchup against the National University (NU) Bulldogs.
CJ Austria was undoubtedly the hero of the day as he led the Green Archers’ scoring with 16 points and nailed the game-winning three-pointer as time ran out. The towering Phillips brothers also contributed on both ends of the floor as older brother Ben finished with 14 points and nine rebounds while the younger Michael posted a 14 point — 10 rebound double-double.
Lenda Douanga kicked off the scoring with a two-pointer as the Soaring Falcons improved to a swift 5–0 lead. DLSU got their first points on the board and kept things close until the 9–9 mark, where La Salle began to pull ahead and held a 16–9 advantage after over six minutes. Aaron Flowers stopped the bleeding with a mid-range jumper which sparked a back-and-forth exchange that lasted until the end of the first quarter where both teams were locked in a 23–23 stalemate.
The high scoring output carried over to the second period as both Adamson and DLSU traded the lead possession after possession. The Green Archers capitalized on their speed for quick fastbreak points while the Soaring Falcons constantly shook up the Green-and-White’s defense with well-composed ball movement. Despite being ice cold from beyond the arc, La Salle found a great deal of success with their close-to-midrange jumpers as Bigs such as Kevin Quiambao posed constant threats from anywhere within 15 feet. A long deuce from Flowers was the final bucket of the half which gave his Soaring Falcons the 42–40 advantage heading into the break.
Adamson came out of the gates with the hot hand and extended their lead to 48–40 at the end of the first two minutes. La Salle swung the momentum back in their favor with a 9–2 run as their strong defense caused multiple problems for the Soaring Falcons on the offensive front. Just as DLSU were within arm’s reach of overtaking the lead, Adamson turned on the afterburners and reawakened their scoring prowess that had been missing for majority of the third canto and by the end of thirty minutes, held a 62–57 lead ahead of the final frame.
Joshua Yerro began the fourth in a similar fashion to the previous quarter by draining a three-pointer to increase his team’s advantage to eight. Even with La Salle’s best efforts, the Soaring Falcons remained in the driver’s seat and looked poised to close out the game as time was running out. With 2:50 left on the clock, B. Phillips turned the tide of the match after sinking a three-pointer to give DLSU their first lead of the second half. Ahmad Hanapi drove to the basket and put Adamson ahead by two with less than a minute left to go before a crucial putback from M. Phillips levelled the score at 78-apiece. The Soaring Falcons failed to convert on their next drive and with the fate of the game in his hands, Austria called game with a three-pointer from the elbow to give La Salle their first victory in five games.
Box Scores:
DLSU 81 — Austria 16, M. Phillips 14, B. Phillips 14, Nonoy 8, Quiambao 8, Abadam 6, Nwankwo 6, Nelle 5, Estacio 4
AdU 78— Yerro 18, Flowers 15, Douanga 10, Hanapi 10, Jaymalin 10, Manzano 6, Sabandal 3, Colonia 2, Fuentebella 2, Barasi Jr. 2
Quarterscores: 23–23, 40–42, 57–62, 81–78
