It’s been a classic roller coaster ride for the Green Archers.
First, there was the misery of a 3-4 first-round finish. Then came the sudden rush of euphoria, courtesy of three consecutive victories that had La Salle looking every bit like the Season 88 Green Archers. And just when everyone was getting cheery again, NU came along and reminded the Taft faithful that emotional painkillers should probably be part of the season ticket package.
The loss to the Bulldogs leaves La Salle at 6-5, tied with FEU for third place.
Three games remain. Adamson, UP, and FEU. All three teams that managed to bring the Archers down in the first round.
So, how deep is the hole we’re in?
Well, before we start digging, let’s take another look at this roller coaster ride. There might be a few things worth noticing along the way.
THE DEFENSIVE TRANSFORMATION
After a rather uninspiring first round, La Salle responded with a three-game winning streak, taking down UE, UST, and Ateneo.
These weren’t exactly buzzer-beating thrillers or games that required a last-second prayer. The Archers handled their business consistently over 40 minutes and, more importantly, looked like a team that had figured something out.
The biggest difference was DEFENSE.
La Salle had always been capable of putting points on the board by being the ROUND ONE’S most entertaining offense. But during that three-game stretch, the Archers began looking like something more than an offensive team that could occasionally defend. They were becoming a legitimate defensive headache, capable of shutting down opponents.
Much of the credit goes to the emergence of Henry Agunnane.
The Taft FSA has given La Salle something it badly needed: a defensive presence that makes attacking the paint an increasingly unpleasant experience. His length, timing, and ability to contest shots have transformed the interior from a vulnerable area into something resembling a restricted-access zone.
Those long tentacles are becoming a serious problem for anyone planning to take the direct route to the basket.
The numbers tell the story. Opponents were producing seven fewer points in the interior, while La Salle’s defensive presence around the basket allowed its perimeter defenders to play more aggressively without constantly worrying about getting beaten off the dribble.
The result was a new defensive identity that forced opponents to look elsewhere for their points.
And elsewhere meant outside. Way outside.
Against the Archers, opponents averaged roughly 30 three-point attempts. That’s an astonishing 54% of their attempts that they had to take 22 feet away from the basket.
Agunnane wasn’t necessarily blocking everyone going downhill. He was making these slashers rethink and reconsider what they wanted to do in the first place. Agunnane altered shots that usually were easy to make.
Sometimes, that’s just as valuable as a blocked shot.
NU HAD OTHER IDEAS
Interestingly, Jeff Napa and the Bulldogs weren’t particularly interested in following the script of making it rain from beyond the arc.
Unlike UE, UST, and Ateneo, who were more comfortable generating offense from the perimeter, NU, which ranks last in 3-point attempts, decided to take the fight directly to La Salle’s newly fortified interior.
This is their usual game, and they had the wide bodies to do it.
Mo Diassana and BJ Palacello attacked the paint with a combination of size, touch, and graceful twirling moves. There was no need to settle for contested jumpers when the Bulldogs could get productive looks closer to the basket.
NU finished with 48 points in the paint, with the heavyweight combination of Diassana and Palacello accounting for 33 of them.
It was a deliberate counterpunch to La Salle’s defensive improvement.
But the Bulldogs weren’t done.
Their defense was just as suffocating, forcing the Archers into 21 turnovers and holding them to a miserable 25 percent from beyond the arc. That’s five percentage points below La Salle’s season average of 31 percent.
Napa clearly came prepared.
The familiar Wacki Tovera open-court opportunities were harder to come by. His quick delivery to Agunnane was no longer the surprise weapon it had been in previous games.
Luis Pablo’s herky-jerky movements before attacking the basket were met with timely double teams. And NU was perfectly willing to dare Agunnane and Seven Gagate to beat them from the outside.
It was a calculated gamble, and Gagate’s 0-of-4 performance from three made that decision look even better.
In short, NU didn’t just beat La Salle at its own game. It found the seams in the defensive and offensive adjustments that had fueled the Archers’ winning streak.
SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR
To La Salle’s credit, the game was hardly a walk in the park for NU.
The Archers found themselves down by eight but refused to fold. Vhoris Marasigan, Doy Dungo, and Earl Abadam helped orchestrate the comeback, chipping away at the deficit until La Salle was back in striking distance.
Then came that old familiar Cool Cub Jacob Cortez.
With 2:04 remaining, Cortez connected on a turnaround midrange jumper that gave La Salle the lead. For a brief moment, it looked like the Archers will steal another one.
But basketball has a funny way of reminding everyone that momentum doesn’t always get the final say.
The Bulldogs recovered, the closing possessions went their way, and La Salle was left holding another loss.
There are nights when the ball simply doesn’t bounce your way. This was one of them.
HOW DEEP IS THE HOLE?
Now, back to the original question.
Are the Green Archers in trouble?
Not necessarily.
In fact, there’s a rather interesting reason to remain optimistic.
The emergence of Agunnane has given La Salle a more reliable interior defensive foundation. That allows the perimeter defenders to concentrate on containing outside shooters without constantly having to compensate for easy penetrations into the paint.
And that could become particularly important in the remaining three games.
Look at the upcoming opponents.
Adamson and FEU rank second and third in the league in three-point attempts, launching 334 and 326 shots, respectively. The problem for both teams is that volume hasn’t exactly translated into efficiency.
Adamson is shooting just 26.95 percent from beyond the arc, while FEU is converting at 26.99 percent.
That’s a lot of missile launches for teams that aren’t particularly accurate with their shooting.
Consider UST, which leads the league in three-point attempts and ranks third in shooting accuracy. La Salle managed to contain the Growling Tigers during its winning streak.
So, if the Archers were able to handle a team that takes plenty of threes and actually makes a respectable percentage of them, what’s stopping them from competing against teams that are considerably less efficient?
Hopeful thinking that has a tinge of rationality.
Of course, basketball isn’t played on spreadsheets. Adamson and FEU can still get hot, and UP presents an entirely different challenge. The numbers don’t guarantee victories.
But they do offer a reason to believe that La Salle’s defensive transformation can carry over into the final stretch.
And that is a much better place to be than where the Archers were after the first round.
THE RIDE IS FAR FROM OVER
The defending champions are still very much in the thick of the race.
Although at 6-5, there’s little room for complacency. The remaining schedule is unforgiving, particularly with Adamson, UP, and FEU all carrying the memory of first-round victories over La Salle.
But perhaps that’s exactly what makes this stretch interesting.
The Archers have experienced the low points. They’ve enjoyed the highs. They’ve found a defensive weapon in Agunnane, discovered a more imposing identity, and learned the hard way that opponents will eventually find ways to counter what works.
That’s the nature of a long basketball season.
The road to title retention was never going to be a smooth ride.
We’ve already gone through the valleys and enjoyed the summit. Now, after another dip, the Green Archers have three games to show that this roller coaster still has plenty of upward momentum.
And maybe, just maybe, this latest drop is setting up the launch pad for another championship run.
ANIMO LA SALLE!!!
