The Green Archers failed to clinch the title today, dropping a narrow 63-66 decision to the defending champions UP Maroons. The game was close throughout, with no team managing a double-digit lead.
The first half was a game of runs, with the Archers grabbing the initiative in the first quarter to lead, 20-13, before UP retaliated in the second via a 13-22 burst to grab the initiative at the half, 33-35.
The second half was tightly contested as expected, with UP fighting to stay alive, and they managed to hang on at the end. The Maroons maintained the 2-point lead at the end of the 3rd quarter, 47-49, paving the way for an exciting last 10 minutes. Pablo tied the game to start the 4th quarter, before Remogat hit two triples to tow the Maroons to a 51-55 lead, which was promptly erased by two baskets by Pablo and Marasigan, 55-all. Cortez nailed a jumper and a free throw, allowing the Archers to grab the lead, 58-55, raising hopes for a strong closing kick. But UP, desperate for a win, refused to back down, and two Alarcon free throws and a Stevens jumper gave UP the lead at 58-59. Although the Archers threatened behind free throw splits by Phillips and Cortez, Abadiano sank 3 mid-range jumpers to keep their narrow lead until the end.
Jacob Cortez was tightly marked throughout the contest whenever he crossed the halfcourt line, primarily by a much taller Bayla, and by a mix of other UP guards who bumped, nudged, and grabbed Cortez. Rather than retaliate or try to play hero ball, Cortez focused on play calling and ball distribution. However, the inability of his teammates to consistently it their shots ultimately told on the Archers. They made a paltry 4/23 (17%) from beyond the arc, making it an easy decision for UP to continue their zone defense with special attention on Jacob throughout most of the game.
Unable to connect from outside, the Archers tried the tactic of isolation with Marasigan, but the alert UP guards were on the lookout for the crossover dribble and were able to tap the ball for turnovers whenever an Archer attempted to drive. Another UP tactic was for their players to wait until Mike Phillips landed after he grabbed a rebound, and try to either tap the ball away or tie him up for a jumpball. They did this repeatedly throughout the game.
15 turnovers may not sound like a lot, but in a closeout game, these cost the Archers by gifting UP with possession. Unfortunately the Archers were also unable to capitalize on the freebies created by the 18 UP team fouls, as they only sank 13/20 of their free throws. With a 3-point deficit at the end of the game, it’s difficult not to rue those misses.
On the other hand, this wasn’t a runaway win for UP, as the green-and-white matched UP statistics across the board. The Maroons repeatedly tried to go on their explosive runs behind turnovers and steals that lead to quick points, but the Archers successfully prevented any significant momentum swings. JC Macalalag was effective with his drives, but these were few and far in between.
It was perhaps unfortunate that we couldn’t parlay our 50-41 rebounding edge into more scoring. Also, Jacob Cortez needs help to ease the defensive pressure on him through more production from our wings Abadam, Dungo, and Gollena; the three all connected on just 1/5 shots today. Kean Baclaan only put in 8 minutes and was scoreless today, limited by an ankle sprain he suffered in the first quarter. It forced Coach Topex to field Jacob for 33 minutes, which can tire him out towards the end of the game.
To open up the paint, it would be nice if we employed some quick passing to get Mason Amos free for a spot-up triple. He doesn’t get enough touches to get into a good shooting rhythm.
The sportscasters mentioned that a key tactic of the Archers in game 1 was to hunt down specific UP players like Remogat for isolation, and while that worked in game 1, today it wasn’t so effective. The iso game plan resulted in less team play, with only 7 assists in 23 made field goals. That’s not typical Green Archer basketball.
Despite the tight marking, Cortez managed 16 points, but only after going 6/15 from the field and making only 1 triple. Pablo contributed 12 points to go with his 6 boards, 2 assists, and 3 blocks, while Marasigan and Phillips scored 8 apiece, and Macalalag tallied 7 on a triple and a couple of nifty drives.
Phillips was his usual rebounding self with 14 boards, and as usual was a foul magnet, baiting 10 Maroon fouls, but he was quiet on offense with only 1 field goal and 6/10 from the line. It’s his last game in a Green Archer jersey on Wednesday – here’s hoping it will be a memorable one.
The winner-take-all game is on Wednesday at Araneta. Can we do it?
Unquestionably, YES! But a few things have to be in place, like leaving the jitters at home. The boys were a bit tight and tentative in the first half, and consequently couldn’t sustain their early good start that allowed them to build a 22-13 lead in the second quarter. While iso plays are a good idea, it might be wiser to be less predictable and distribute the scoring load though better ball movement, as it gets more players involved, and it will be difficult for UP to focus on guarding just Cortez. UP’s zones were pretty effective in limiting our offensives, so we’ll need to connect on those long shots and be more careful when passing to and from the high post inside the zone.
Other than those minor tweaks, we should be good to go. The boys know what to do already, they just have to go and do it well.
Looking forward a fond thank you to Mike Phillips for his 5 years of loyal service to DLSU and to a green-and-white celebration on Wednesday!
ANIMO!
