From the depths of desperation, the scrappy DLSU Green Archers somehow turned chaos into control, walking out with a 72–69 thriller over UP. It looked like the endgame had already started when Terence Fortea drained an open triple to put UP ahead 66–69.
But Earl Abadam wasn’t having that narrative. The guy sprinted the length of the court, launched his own three, and suddenly: La Salle does not go quietly.
UP, usually steady, suddenly looked more like the Turnover Maroons. A careless pass at the end line handed La Salle a lifeline. With 47 seconds left, Vhoris Marasigan soared into a vertical insanity that ended with a put-back of a triple miss by Abadam for a 71–69 La Salle lead.
At this flickering juncture, UP turned to their inside threat, and Francis Norouka, who flubbed a contested layup and Phillips grabbed the all-important board and was fouled .
First shot? Miss. Second shot? Swish. Calm. Collected. Clinical. 72–69.
UP’s last possession fizzled as Terence Fortea’s desperate heave was off-line and Jacob Cortez dribbled out the remaining seconds.
La Salle survived, and the green nation celebrated an improbable win after losing two starters to injury.
WHAT. A. WIN.
Luis Pablo, the balik-La Salle slotman, played the game of his life against the very team that drowned him on the bench: 14 points, six boards. The Cool Cub Jacob Cortez, hounded all game by the Maroon goons, still dropped 12 points, six dimes, and five boards.
Coach Topex summed it up: “It came down to small possessions, and we were able to execute.”
Chaos reigned from the get-go.
The first half was pure unhinged action filled with momentum swings. UP came out swinging with a fiery 10–0 run in the first quarter—two triples, two fastbreaks—flipping a 15–10 deficit into a 27–20 lead. La Salle’s rhythm sputtered early under fouls, physicality, and early penalty trouble.
Two technicals on the UP bench, Mike Phillips’ unsportsmanlike, and suddenly La Salle clawed back. Harold Alarcon tried to keep UP afloat with a five-point burst, but Cortez took over with drives, steals, clutch free throws, and with his streak, La Salle flipped the tide, heading into halftime 46–41.
Third quarter was tug-of-war central.
Cortez and EJ Gollena nudged La Salle to 53–47 and UP answered with inside scoring from Norouka and a couple of scorching and painful Fortea threes. By the end, Fortea’s second triple put UP ahead 60–57, setting the stage for a fourth-quarter cage match.
The fourth quarter was defensive theater.
La Salle tied it over and over. Luis Pablo quietly orchestrated a career night, not willing to give an inch, totaling 13 points before crunch time.
With two minutes left, Abadam quarter court contested J tied it at 66–66. UP called timeout.
But Maroon off-season recruit, Gani Stevens could not roll in his shot giving La Salle the window for a go ahead play.
Then Vhoris Marasigan’s put-back with 47 seconds left nudged La Salle ahead 71–69. Mike Phillips grabbed the rebound after Norouka’s miss on the next UP play, got fouled, sank the free throw: 72–69.
Time expired.
La Salle survived.
In a game swinging on every possession, La Salle’s late-quarter poise and Cortez’s electric playmaking drew the difference line.
UP’s early hot shooting, bannered by Fortea’s seemingly unstoppable threes gave them control, but turnovers and missed chances down the stretch cost them dearly.
La Salle closes the first round with a 4–3 card.
And to the ones who watched this live, this must be one of the sweetest HAILS you can ever sing with a jubilant green crowd.
ANIMO LA SALLE!!!
