Tensions ran incredibly high in the showdown between DLSU and UP. Here’s what you should be thinking about after this intense matchup.
Over 16,000 fans filled the seats of the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday night to watch the UAAP Season 87 first-round showdown between the Green Archers and the Fighting Maroons. This was always bound to be the most highly-anticipated clash, as these teams were meeting for the first time since last season’s dramatic finals series — and the drama continued.
DLSU handed UP their first loss of the season, claiming a 68-56 victory to rise to the no. 1 spot at the end of the first round of eliminations.
La Salle took control of the game from the tip-off and even brought their lead to as high as 20 points in the second quarter to assert their dominance. Although the Maroons clawed their way back with a third-quarter resurgence — which has become a habit for this team — that tied the game at 42-all with two minutes remaining until the fourth, their hope for a huge comeback win over DLSU was put to rest after the Archers regained control to close the game.
Kevin Quiambao, as expected, led the Archers’ solid performance with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists, alongside team co-captain Josh David who came up with 14 points, hitting 4-of-7 from the three-point line.
Both teams now have a 6-1 win-loss record at the end of the first round of the men’s basketball tournament, and as the top two teams, many are viewing last night’s showdown as a preview for this season’s finals, and what a preview it was.
With this, here are three of our biggest takeaways from the DLSU-UP first-round match, which will be worth thinking about as we head into the second round.
DLSU is growing as the season goes on
They may be on top right now, but La Salle has already been put to the test multiple times this season already. They started with a come-from-behind win over the NU Bulldogs, were overpowered by the UE Red Warriors, who handed the Archers their first loss, and just narrowly survived against a hungry FEU squad.
La Salle’s rise to the top was shaky, but their composure appears to be growing as the season goes on.
The defending champions seemed to find their stride when they faced UST, after claiming a big 88-67 victory over the Tigers. This was a major win for the Archers, who needed a statement win to provide a big boost of confidence — especially as this was their final game before they met with UP.
La Salle, however, was up to the task. Despite a pressure-packed situation, the Archers kept their cool to ice a big win over their biggest rivals of the season. Their composure on defense held the Maroons from going on their usual scoring sprees and allowed them to go on runs that would determine the result of the game.
And while this charge was led by the ever-reliable KQ, his teammates are now showing that they have what it takes to step up when needed.
Co-captain Joshua David, for instance, played a huge role in DLSU’s win last night, notching a season-high 14 points. His presence on the court was felt at all times, as shown by his game-high +16 plus-minus record against the Maroons. This has been his best performance of the season thus far and could be a marker for more to come.
In addition, La Salle’s key bench players have also been taking turns stepping up when needed throughout the first round. Raven Gonzales, JC Macalalag, rookie Vhoris Marasigan, and EJ Gollena have each had their shining moments thus far — Raven even made it into our Week 3 power rankings, impressing us after just 12 minutes of playing time.
Every player for the Green and White seems to understand his role on the squad and is learning, as the games go by, how to make the most out of the minutes they get on the court. With this, their confidence as individuals and as a team looks to be growing, which could make them even more formidable in the second round.
UP can’t keep coming from behind
This loss was a huge blow to the Fighting Maroons. Harold Alarcon, who led UP with 19 points — 12 of which were scored in the third quarter when they went on a run to tie the game — buried his head in his hands when he sat down in the press room after the loss.
The disappointment was palpable as UP Head Coach Goldwin Monteverde and Alarcon faced the media’s questions. When they went on a 27-7 run in the third quarter, they might have thought that they were onto another come-from-behind win. Against UST, for instance, UP was trailing up until the third period, until they went on an explosive 21-4 run to take over the lead.
But unlike before, this time around, they couldn’t maintain the momentum — perhaps due to reasons outside of the ballgame, which we’ll touch on later.
“I think sa last two games namin, sabi ko nga, we can’t play catch-up basketball every time,” Coach Goldwin shared after the game.
With this, it’s time for the Fighting Maroons to go back to the drawing board and see what’s been missing. Both Coach Goldwin and Alarcon pointed to their need to improve the execution of their offense. However, their defense last night also left gaps that allowed DLSU to overpower them throughout the game, and this aspect of their game is something Alarcon pointed to as well.
Indeed, if this team wants to reclaim the UAAP men’s basketball title, they can’t continue allowing their opponents to get out of the gates strong only to have to fight their way back. The Lasallians, their biggest opponents of the season, have surely helped them realize this.
Of course, UP was hindered by the fact that one of their star players, JD Cagulangan, was unable to play against DLSU. However, Coach Goldwin explained that he will be ready by the first game of the second round.
This rivalry is only getting stronger
The action in the La Salle-UP game last night, however, went beyond the minutes of the game. The talk of the town is the controversy of the third quarter.
Tensions between the two teams hit an all-time high with less than three minutes to go in the third. UP had just caught up to the Archers and needed two points to tie the game when suddenly, the coaches from both benches got up to meet at halfcourt with tempers visibly flared up. They exchanged words, not with the friendliest of faces, leaving everyone to wonder — what was really going on?
Coaches from both sides shared their accounts.
“Actually, nagulat na lang akong nagtatayuan na yung coaches, nagtuturuan na sila, so tumayo na rin ako, nakituro na lang ako,” DLSU Assistant Coach Gian Nazario told the media in jest. “But kidding aside, siyempre emotions were really high at that point. I don’t really know honestly what transpired, I’m just there to protect my coaches.”
UP Head Coach Monteverde also shared a rather vague side of the story: “Whatever yung init na nangyari, hindi tungkol sa basketball eh. Kung basketball lang, [it would have been okay], being competitive, both sides will give their best. But siyempre, pangit kasi yung may mga ibang bagay na ginagawa sa loob na walang kaugnayan sa laro. On our part, yung mga player magre-react din in a way and even yung bench.”
This has left everyone still wondering what truly instigated such a heated argument between both teams, that was even reignited after the final buzzer. However, since the game ended, more rumors have been circulating about the altercation.
According to Reyland Torres, the emotions started running high after DLSU Head Coach Topex Robinson allegedly spat on the UP player’s shoulder a few minutes before the big on-court rumble between both teams.
Coach Topex denied these allegations, acknowledging that they had exchanged words with one another, but explaining that he did not spit on the player.
At this point, this is very much a he-said-she-said situation, and there are a lot of gaps in the story that remain to be filled. But in any case, this will only mean that the UP-La Salle rivalry will only be getting more intense from here on out.
Fans will definitely be anticipating their next clash in the second round of the tournament. And if these two teams continue their hot streaks and remain at the top of the pack, it is very likely that these two teams will meet at the finals once again — and this time, with a lot more to fight for.
Banner image from UAAP Media Bureau.