De La Salle University’s humiliating 30-point beatdown in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 men’s basketball finals series opener lit a fire from under the Green Archers.
They fueled that flame with the desire for payback, fanning it into a red blaze that razed University of the Philippines and shifted the momentum of the best-of-three title showdown to the green side.
Enraged and motivated at the same time, La Salle gave the Fighting Maroons a dose of their own medicine with the same pesky defense, hustle, and sweet outside shooting to even the series, forcing a deciding Game 3 on Wednesday.
The Green Archers blew out UP, 82-60, last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for the third straight finals that went the full distance.
“Well, having 16 pissed off players during practice really, really excites me. You know they really were so pissed off that we got really clobbered in Game 1 and then they really responded,” Green Archers coach Topex Robinson said of their win four days after being in the losing end of the most lopsided finals result in the Final Four era, 67-97, in Game 1.
“(Our) practice was really tough, you know those last three days but I really enjoyed watching them. Knowing that they’re not just gonna roll down and die you know, they really want to slug it out with the best team and that’s where the fun began for us,” he added as La Salle inched closer to ending a seven-year title drought.
Unfazed from an early 10-point hole, La Salle buckled down on defense while unheralded Francis Escandor, Joshua David and CJ Austria found their range from the outside to flip the game heading into halftime before turning it into a full-blown one-sided affair.
Outplayed in Game 1, it was the Green Archers turn to show toughness, matching the Fighting Maroons’ physicality and outworking them possession by possession.
La Salle’s stifling defense was so effective that UP didn’t make a field goal for almost 11 minutes bridging from the closing minutes of the first quarter until the last 47 seconds of the second quarter while opening up a comfortable cushion.
Escandor, David and Austria connived for 10 of the Green Archers’ 12 triples that pulled them away for good after a horrible 2-of-23 three-point shooting in Game 1.
Rebounding also played a big factor with La Salle ganging up for the boards as it outrebounded UP, 58-46. The Green Archers had 19 offensive rebounds that helped them convert 16 second chance points.
“Again, obviously, rebounding is where it really is gonna be the nitty gritty part of the game, we always look at that. We always ride on the saying that no rebounds, no rings. So that’s one thing that we really focused on,” Robinson said. “I mean, and it’s not only the big man’s effort. It has to be everybody, you know we just have to make sure that we’re going to have these bodies, these white shirts in the paint.”
“Every time UP takes a shot or even us, I think we got a lot of offensive rebounds also, because guys were really going at it, you know, trying to slug it out with the bigs. Or even the guards of UP. So, it’s really going to play a vital role in the coming Game 3.”
But the biggest tactical stroke of Robinson that got the Fighting Maroons out of their system and game plan was playing season Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao off the bench.
“We wanted to make sure that we’re gonna have, you know, at least a backup with our starters. Whatever happens we have somebody who’s going to come off the bench and provide us and get us ready for the challenge,” Robinson said of the first local player to win MVP in eight years.
“And KQ was up to the challenge. He told the coaching staff that he’ll do whatever role we want him to play. So, he responded well and he gave us an extra boost after our starters.”
Quiambao was limited to nine points but grabbed 13 rebounds and had three blocks. Another veteran leader Evan Nelle had a double-double of 12 boards and 10 assists despite shooting 2-of-12 for four points.
It was a great Game 2 for La Salle, which is playing in its first championship series in six years, but Robinson knows the war is far from over.
One more game to decide it all.
“We know what we will do. We have to make adjustments and in making sure that Game 2 is done and over with,” he said.
