STATEMENT GAME!
STATEMENT… WIN!
La Salle didn’t just win, they imposed order. They turned on an unbreakable zone, built a 20-point cushion, and kept that green boot pressed firmly on the throats of the UST Growling Tigers and conquered Espana 86-77.
The Stretch That Broke It Open
Everything tilted midway through the second and carried deep into the third. La Salle’s zone began to constrict like a vice, swallowing up UST’s interior rhythm and forcing contested jumpers. Earl Abadam set it in motion — slicing down the lane for 40–28 — and from there, the Green Archers turned the game into a runaway.
Vhoris Marasigan soared in for a putback. JC Macalalag splashed a triple. Suddenly it was 46–28, and UST’s confidence looked like it was leaking through the floorboards. Colins Akowe, their anchor in the paint, looked mortal — missing point-blank shots that he normally powers through. When Mike Phillips calmly sank two free throws to make it 48–28, the tide had turned.
UST tried to rally behind Nic Cabanero and Forthsky Padrigao, but every surge met a green wall. Abadam’s corner three at 57–44 reasserted control, while Lebron Daep’s post-ups kept the Tigers at arm’s length.
And when Dungo converted a three-point play to end the quarter at 64–51, it felt like the exclamation point on a statement stretch. La Salle wasn’t just playing well , they were dictating reality.
That Growl in the Fourth — Silenced by Gollena
UST made one last push.
The Tigers clawed back to within six, 76–70, and for a brief flicker, the tension started to boil. Then EJ Gollena ripped their hope apart with a corner three and the foul. 79–70, 2:35 left.
That was the dagger.
Although moments later, he got whistled for a flop — a rare technical in the closing minutes — but UST couldn’t capitalize. Llemit missed the free throw. On the next trip, Akowe hit one at the line, trimming it to 79–73 with 1:20 to go, but the Tigers had already emptied their tank with not much time left.
Cabanero missed a driving floater that looped off the top of the glass, and Gollena, somehow unbothered by the earlier tech, buried another corner bomb — 82–73 with 39 seconds remaining.
That was it.
Akowe’s dunk cut it to 82–75, but Padrigao missed a layup, and Abadam sealed it on the sideline, 84–75.
The Growl faded into silence as the Taft Archers exuded domination.
La Salle didn’t just defend their lead. this game, they owned the UST Tigers and improved their standings at 5-3.
ANIMO LA SALLE!!!
