All even: Teng sizzles with 32 to lift La Salle over Ateneo
The De La Salle University Green Archers forced a triple tie at the top of the UAAP standings with an 88-86 victory over their rival Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, Sunday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
In front of 15,915 fans, Jeron Teng played one of the best games of his UAAP career as he dropped 32 points, adding six rebounds, six assists, and a steal.
Kiefer Ravena, the leading Most Valuable Player candidate, was limited to 22 points, six rebounds, and five steals, shooting an atrocious 8 of 23 from the field.
With the minutes dwindling down, La Salle proved to be the more dynamic team as they got key contributions from all of the Green Archers on the floor. Jason Perkins hit a key jumper to stretch their lead to three points at 84-81 with only 31 seconds left in the game.
Ateneo then went to their bread and butter in Ravena but he was defended by three Archers in the paint.
Free throws from Perkins and Teng surged the Archers further ahead but Ateneo had one last shot at swinging the game. Down 87-83 with eight seconds left in the game, Chris Newsome banked in a triple. He extended his lead foot to force contact between him and his defender but the referee refused to give him the call.
Almond Vosotros iced the game with a free throw, deliberately missing the second one was there were only 1.9 seconds left in the game with Ateneo not having a timeout.
La Salle, Ateneo, and Far Eastern University are now bunched up at the top with identical 6-2 win-loss tallies.
The Green Archers raced to a searing 19-10 start during the first period powered by Jeron Teng’s 15 points in the period. Kiefer Ravena on the other hand failed to score in the first 10 minutes.
In the second quarter, it was Ravena’s turn to drop 15 as he tried to carry the Blue Eagles back into the game. Ateneo threatened multiple combacks but their bigs just could not contain their La Salle counterparts.
The Green Archers looked to carry a double-digit advantage at the half but Ravena swished a triple to beat the buzzer and settle the score at 44-36.
In the first half, La Salle outscored Ateneo 26-14 inside the paint with Jason Perkins and Prince Rivero combining for 14 points. But it was Teng's 21-point explosion that was the biggest difference for the green side.
Ravena led Ateneo at the half with 15 while Ponso Gotladera added six. The La Salle defense stuck to Von Pessumal like glue, limiting him to only five points, a single field goal attempt.
The Main Man: Teng's stat-line of 32-6-6 is definitely astounding but his ability to spot his open teammates was key for La Salle.
Honorable Mentions: Perkins played a good game, scoring 18 points including a crucial jumper down the stretch. Guards Julian Sargent and Robert Bolick who are not usually relied on for their scoring, chipped in a combined 21 points for La Salle. Rookie big man Paolo Rivero also came up big with nine points and five rebounds.
Game Turning Point: Up by only a precarious point, Jason Perkins nailed a mid-range jump shot to bring their lead up to three points at 84-81. With the Blue Eagles needing a crucial basket, they went to Ravena but the King Eagle’s layup didn’t hit anything but the board.
They Said It:
DLSU head coach Juno Sauler: The reason why the other guys got their points is because Ateneo’s defense double-teamed Jeron and he was able to recognize it.
Jeron Teng: I was open a lot of times in the first quarter that’s why I took many shots but their defense changed so I tried to look for my open teammates.
The scores:
La Salle 88: Teng 32, Perkins 18, Sargent 11, Bolick 10, Rivero 9, Vosotros 6, Torres 2, Tratter 0, Montalbo 0, Mustre 0.
Ateneo 86: Ravena 22, Newsome 15, Elorde 14, Gotladera 10, Pessumal 10, Tolentino 7, Capacio 6, Babilonia 2, Ravena 0, Apacible 0, Lim 0.
Quarters: 19-10, 44-36, 66-61, 88-86.
