“Despite how bad we played, it still came down to a few possessions,” Coach Topex Robinson admitted after the Green Archers suffered a frustrating 65-73 defeat to the UP Fighting Maroons last night.
The word “bad” might feel like an understatement when assessing the Green Archers’ second-half performance. It was a tale of two halves, where early promise dissolved into a cascade of missed opportunities amidst UP’s relentless adjustments.
First-Half Brilliance
For a stretch between the first and second quarters, Kevin Quiambao and his Green Archers were locked in. Very fluid ball movement and steady scoring runs helped La Salle build a solid single-digit lead. Quiambao’s triple pushed the Archers ahead to their largest lead at 34-27 with 4:49 remaining in the first half.
But just as quickly, UP chipped away.
Quentin Millora Brown’s interior presence, combined with timely perimeter shooting, brought the Maroons back from the abyss. They slashed the deficit to a single point, 38-37, with just 43 seconds left before Lian Ramiro’s triple managed to steady the ship giving the Archers a 41-37 lead at the break.
That Ice-Cold Third Quarter
The Green Archers emerged from halftime ice-cold. They opened the third quarter, missing their first eight field goal attempts, and muffed two free throws. The Archers went on a grueling seven scoreless minutes and allowed the Maroons to grab control with a 41-45 UP advantage.
CJ Austria gave La Salle a much-needed spark midway through the third with a personal five-point run, temporarily halting UP’s momentum. But the team from Diliman quickly regained the upper hand, ending the quarter ahead 50-54.
UP then opened the fourth quarter with another fiery 9-2 flurry, extending their lead to 54-63 with 6:42 remaining. La Salle’s offense, disrupted by UP’s shape-shifting double teams on Quiambao, suffered from a lack of flow and, in many possessions, resorted to forced, low-percentage shots as the shot clock expired.
The Keys to Game Two
“We have to go back to the drawing boards and adjust the game plan,” Coach Topex remarked postgame. But what adjustments can turn the tide in La Salle’s favor? Here are five rektikano,net “mamaru” (nag mamarunong) hunches:
- Contain Quentin Millora Brown (QMB) – The one-and-done big man was a force inside the shaded lane in the second half, scoring 13 points while anchoring UP’s paint dominance. Though defensive rotations attempted to neutralize him, but this left the Maroon shooters open, and they capitalized from beyond the arc.
- Fixing the Rotation – QMB’s presence created matchup nightmares even with Motor Mike. While Henry Agunanne provided a strong defensive option, his offensive limitations disrupted La Salle’s flow. Finding the right balance in matchups will be crucial.
- Set Up Kevin Quiambao for Dominance – Quiambao, the reigning MVP, is La Salle’s most versatile shot creator, capable of pulling up from deep and operating efficiently in the midrange. However, UP’s aggressive defensive schemes frustrated KQ and forced him into uncomfortable long shots and turnovers. Positioning him closer to the basket or finding ways to exploit mismatches through high pick-and-rolls could open up the offense.
- Perimeter Players Must Deliver – Quiambao is an excellent secondary playmaker and is only effective if the shooters can translate these passes into points. In the second half, the Green Archers managed just 1-of-12 from three (8.3%), even missing wide-open shots and allowing UP to collapse defensively and crowd the lane.
- Attack the Rim Relentlessly – The lack of aggressiveness in getting to the basket cost La Salle dearly. In the entire second half, the Green Archers attempted just THREE free throws (including a technical), a glaring sign of their perimeter-first offensive philosophy. THREE. Forcing contact and getting to the line could shift the momentum.
The Bigger Picture
Through adversity, Coach Topex stressed the importance of unity and resilience.
“‘Di naman palagi flowers and rainbows,” he shared. “You got to go through those rough patches. It’s just gonna define us as a team, as long as we always do it right, we play right, and honor this game that we love, that has always been good to us. We will not be defined by losing a game. What’s important to us is we stick to what we live for, we take care of each other, we protect each other.”
One Game at a Time
The series is far from over.
We have been here before.
Millora Brown’s dominance and UP’s perimeter shooting will not hold up with the law of averages likely to catch up on them. MVP Quiambao is too good to remain silent for long stretches, the combined basketball IQ of the De La Salle coaching staff will find a solution to the QMB puzzle, and La Salle’s shooters are due to find their rhythm.
With adjustments, La Salle has every opportunity to even the series.
One game at a time.
Win Game Two, and the momentum shifts firmly to Taft.
Animo La Salle!
