Green Archers overpower UP, enter another championship era seven years in the making
After being down in two quarters, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers secured the UAAP Season 86 Men's Basketball Championship trophy by overpowering the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in the second half, 73-69, yesterday, December 6, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
After a thrilling display, the Green Archers have reclaimed their former glory as they proudly bring the trophy back to Taft after a seven-year championship drought.
Season MVP Kevin Quiambao earned two more well-deserved titles after getting heralded as Player of the Game and Finals MVP, dropping 24 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in the match. In tandem with Quiambao’s stellar performance, Evan Nelle contributed 12 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, while Michael Phillips asserted dominance with a whopping tally of 16 rebounds.
Still feeling the thrill from his magnificent display back in Game 2, Francis Escandor sparked La Salle’s scoring while Malick Diouf secured the first bucket following UP’s consecutive missed attempts, 2-all. A flurry of fouls and turnovers swiftly unfolded and after patiently settling for free throws, Quiambao and Veejay David unleashed back-to-back threes to finally hand the lead back to Taft, 11-8. This resurgence awakened UP’s fighting spirit as the two teams began their chase for the lead once more. Despite UP intensifying their steals, JC Macalalag’s consistent performance kept the scores tight, concluding the quarter with La Salle leading at 22-21.
However, at the start of the second quarter, the Maroons retaliated with a rapid 6-0 run, culminating in a Diouf putback at 23-27. Both the Archers and the Maroons showcased their potent offensive arsenals, triggering scoring runs alternately on both ends of the court. La Salle responded with another impactful 6-0 run, highlighted by a Phillips putback, 38-39. Unfortunately, the Taft Tower faced scoring limitations in the quarter, as the team were subjected to defensive efforts from the Maroons that resulted in Phillips hitting the floor twice, nursing his leg after physical encounters. Meanwhile, UP displayed efficiency at the free throw line with a 69.2% success rate, slightly surpassing La Salle's 66.7%, which concluded the quarter with a score of 39-43.
Coming out strong after halftime, JD Cagulangan initiated the scoring and extended Katipunan's lead to six. However, Escandor's elegant fadeaway at 41-45 served as the catalyst for La Salle's remarkable 12-2 run, fueled by Quiambao, Evan Nelle, and Jonnel Policarpio, bringing the score to 53-49. The Green Archers constructed a solid defense to thwart UP's attempts, but despite this, their bowstrings began to falter, as La Salle encountered a scoring drought immediately following their impressive run. Despite the Archers' defensive display, Diouf and Harold Alarcon managed to reclaim the lead for the Maroons, concluding the quarter at 55-58, with Nonoy's buzzer-beater trey attempt falling short.
Coming into the final quarter, the squad from Katipunan were ruthless in keeping an iron grip on their lead, with CJ Cansino’s three-pointer igniting a relentless 7-3 run, only interrupted by Quiambao’s precise dagger at 63-65. The season MVP’s sharpshooting initiated La Salle’s impressive 6-0 run, as the boys in Green & White resiliently fended off every blow from UP’s side, 70-67. In the thrilling climax of the decisive match, the Maroons made multiple attempts to force overtime, with Francis Lopez’s putback managed to cut the lead to one possession, 71-69. But Quiambao’s clutch free throws with a mere two seconds on the clock finally smothered UP’s hopes, earning a resounding ovation as the boys from Taft clinched a long-awaited championship, 73-69, marking a triumphant return after seven years.
The Green Archers received a well-deserved champion’s welcome as crowds awaited their return in a homecoming program back in Taft organized by the DLSU University Student Government (USG) last night.
Box scores:
DLSU 73—Quiambao 24, Nelle 12, Policarpio 8, Nonoy 8, Phillips, M. 5, Macalalag 5, Escandor 4, David 3, Austria 3, Cortez 1, Manuel 0, Nwankwo 0, Phillips, B. 0, Abadam 0
UP 69—Diouf 21, Lopez 12, Alarcon 10, Cagulangan 8, Felicilda 5, Cansino 5, Torculas 4, Abadiano 2, Torres 2, Fortea 0, Pablo 0
Quarter scores: 22-21, 39-43, 55-58, 73-69
