UP shows a pulse against DLSU

Many are picking the Fighting Maroons to serve up a goose egg in the win column in UAAP Season 76. After Wednesday's 96-84 loss to De La Salle, I wouldn't be so pessimistic.

The Maroons battled hard for the first three quarters and were in striking distance, down 78-74, with seven minutes and change left, before the Archers picked up the cushion they needed to get their first win of the season.

All is not lost in Diliman. UP may be 0-2 but a few players stepped up against the Archers to give their long-suffering fans a modicum of hope.

Ex-Archer Joseph Marata had a colossal game, draining five of twelve from three point-land to finish with 21 points against his old club. Surely he had a point to prove against his buddies.

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Kyles Lao amassed a quiet eighteen points while Kyle Suarez was a second half spark plug, contributing nine points, including a trey. He has the size and agility to create match up problems for teams. Coach Ricky Dandan will do well to increase his minutes.

Renzar Asilum was also hot from beyond the arc, connecting on four from six attempts and finishing with twelve points.

The Fighting Maroons hit 14 of 28 from three point territory, for 42 points, exactly half of their team total. Seven UP players (Marata, Lao, Asilum, Suarez, Martin Pascual, Jason Ligad, and Joseph Gallarza) were good from long range.

It'll have to be like this if the Maroons are to nick any games this season. Long-range sniping will have to be their saviour. It isn't unreasonable to opine that the Maroon's three-point shooting kept them in this game, since that was pretty much all they had to offer.

UP simply lacks heft, height and athleticism in their corps of forwards. Raul Soyud, who collected five points, has a decent midrange jumper but his lack of speed makes him a liability defensively on fast breaks. Chris Ball has a Reggie Miller-esque physique that isn't suited for the bump-and-grind of the modern collegiate game near the basket. Ditto for Martin Pascual, who did, to his credit, pick up a lovely block on Luigi De La Paz.

All over the UP lineup you see plenty of spindly arms and skinny torsos.

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Jason Perkins feasted on the porous UP defense inside, going 8 for 11 from field goal range enroute to a 20 point afternoon.

Not surprisingly, DLSU outrebounded UP 51 to 32. Only eight of UP's boards were of the offensive variety. DLSU also out-dunked UP 2-0. UP were also out-assisted by La Salle, 21 to 11.

In the last minute of the game DLSU were able to camp out near the UP basket thanks to three straight offensive boards, a fitting punctuation mark to the game.

The Maroons might not miss Mikee Reyes too much. What they need to do is up their recruiting for the 4s and 5s who will clog the lane, grab the boards on both ends, and muscle in for points in the paint. An inside presence could also help draw defenders in and allow them to kick-out for easier perimeter attempts.

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On the other side of the coin, DLSU will be happy to have its first win of the season, but there's plenty of work for coach Juno Sauler. The first-year coach remarked in the post game press con that the 44 points DLSU leaked in the first half was just seven less than what they allowed in regulation in their opening OT loss to UST. Amazingly, Sauler only used eight players. LA Revilla spent the entire game on the bench.

UP will likely be good for two wins this season, maybe three if they can improve their inside game.

But in this wide-open season 76, they might be the only club you can confidently exclude from Final Four contention.

Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.