De La Salle is crushing it in Season 87 at 10-1, and they’re not just winning convincingly—they’re ruthlessly dominating.
After swallowing that bitter pill by the surprising UE Reds earlier in the season, these Green Archers have flipped the script, turned the tables, and stormed the league by taking their last eight games by an average of 14 points in the second round alone.
What went right?
For one, La Salle has ramped up their scoring, improving from 75.57 points per game in the first round to a solid 80.25 in the initial stretch of the final round.
Their three-point shooting? Stellar.
The Green Archers have cranked up their long-range conversions from 7.71 to 10.25 per game, a sweet 33% increase. They’re not just chucking more shots from deep; they’re hitting them with higher accuracy at 39% clip compared to the first round’s 32.1%.
This vastly improved long-range shooting has forced defenses to scramble just to cover the perimeter, stretching the defense and thus providing more space for driving Archers to abuse the paint.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Free-throw shooting has also seen a remarkable upgrade, jumping from 63% in round one to a sizzling 78% in the second.
Consistency in moving the ball has been a key element, and La Salle has maintained over 20 assists per game—21.14 in the first round and even better at 22.25 in the second. Their assist percentage has even climbed from 21.4% to 24.2%, showcasing a smoother offensive scheme that’s a nightmare to stop.
However, there’s one thing La Salle still needs to fix – TURNOVERS. The Green Archers still lead the league in turnovers, averaging a head-scratching 19.82 per game. These numbers have not improved, as Taft still turns over the ball almost 22 times per game in the second round alone.
But Coach Topex has found a band-aid solution.
That “mag bwakaw ka na “ postgame presscon comment from KQ was the outcome of Coach Topex tweaking his strategy, urging his slashers to pass less and create more, as late dishes and backdoor passes were the prime sources of La Salle’s horrendous turnover numbers.
So why is La Salle dominating? Is it simply just a team that is shooting better?
The real magic lies in the two front-running duo in the MVP derby: Kevin Quiambao and Mike Phillips. – the best 1-2 dynamo in the UAAP.
KQ is on a premiere stratosphere right now, with MVP-level production that’s off the charts. He’s shooting a buttery 49.2% from the field in the second round, a massive jump from his 37.7% in the first.
And from beyond the arc?
He’s scaled up to an unbelievable 46.7% compared to his first-round norm of 31.4%. These significant increases from a high-usage player can radically turn a top-tier team from great to lethal.
His free-throw shooting has gone from solid (70.4%) to elite (86.4%), thanks in part to his newfound aggression, as he’s averaging 5.5 trips to the line per game now, up from 3.86 in the first round.
KQ’s partner in the middle is Motor Mike. His scoring has ticked up from 10 points per game to 12.25 in the second round. His renewed patience in finding better looks inside the paint has improved his shooting percentage from 40.9% to 43.2%. And with his relentless rim attacks, he’s getting to the line more often, averaging six free-throw attempts per game and converting 62.5%—a jump from 48.4% in the first round.
All this with his usual full, tireless hustle in cleaning the glass, leading La Salle with 11.55 rebounds per game.
Offensive numbers aside, Motor Mike’s ridiculous length and vertical superpower have made Mike a highly switchable defensive stopper and established Phillips as the spine of the De La Salle defense. His ability to disrupt high pick-and-rolls and use his length to challenge both slashers and three-point shooters have made the green defense number one in the league in shutting down their opponents’ perimeter game.
But it wasn’t just the scoring, rebounding, and all the statistics combined. KQ and Motor Mike have given La Salle more than just racking up MVP numbers on the stat sheet. It is their on and off the court leadership that has propelled DLSU to league-favorite status.
Quiambao and Phillips are a coach’s dream kids that is almost ripped off from feel-good basketball movies. They listen intently, play aggressively, lead unconditionally, and provide that vital leadership extension for Coach Topex on the hardcourt. They anchor their defense by playing physical, restoring sanity in their offense, and endlessly pleading to favor patience over panic. Gone are the days when the Archers would throw up hasty shots after a single pass just to quell a meltdown.
At crunch time, you would see the duo signal to their young Archers to calm down, let the game flow, and stick to the system that has brought them this far, the Coach Topex system. Executing with a symphony of swift passes from side to side, space the floor and look for the best shot. This has been La Salle’s offensive mode in Season 87.
On pressure cooking moments, these co-captains have their way of taking charge. Motor Mike powered La Salle over UE in the second round during a KQ 10-point off night and Quiambao almost single-handedly beheaded Ateneo with his own 33 when Phillips was saddled with three fouls in the first quarter.
Coach Topex could not be more right about his statements to his leaders on the court, “Sobrang swerte talaga ng La Salle to have KQ and Mike (Phillips), not because they play great, but they are just really good people.”
Mike and Kevin would be the first to aid a fallen adversary to show that you can be a basketball beast while playing and be a good human being the next second. The sight of KQ rushing to assist a cramping Atenean and Mike Phillips helping up a limping UE Warrior at the buzzer showed to the whole wide sporting world that the intensity of a basketball battle begins and ends on the court.
The way it really should be.
With Quiambao and Phillips firing on all cylinders on the court and stewarding their young Archers off the court, De La Salle is not just a team to beat; they’re a force of nature with their dynamic duo leading the charge.
ANIMO LA SALLE!
