Green Archers bounce back, drub Fighting Maroons
De La Salle University outgunned University of the Philippines, 96-84, Wednesday to notch its first victory in UAAP Season 76 action at the MOA Arena.
Smarting from a 58-63 overtime defeat dealt by University of Santo Tomas last Saturday, the Green Archers showcased their offensive prowess to the hilt, with all five starters tallying at least 14 points apiece led by Jeron Teng and rookie Jason Perkins, who both finished with 20 points.
The 6-foot-3 Perkins, who also had 13 rebounds, also provided the finishing blows in La Salle’s decisive 14-3 breakaway in the stretch that proved enough to give new coach Juno Sauler his first win in the league.
Almond Vosotros added 15 points while guard Thomas Torres and center Norbert Torres contributed 14 markers apiece for La Salle.
The 6-foot-6 Torres also hauled down 17 of the team’s 51 big rebounds, eight from the offensive end. La Salle also came up with 24 fastbreak points, eight more than UP’s.
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Former Green Archer Joseph Marata led all scorers with 21 points but the Fighting Maroons failed to get over the hump and fell to a second straight setback following a 67-79 defeat inflicted by host Adamson last Sunday.
The Main Man: Proving he is as good as advertised, Perkins asserted his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame when La Salle needed him the most.
The Minnesota native rifled in the final eight points in the team’s 14-7 windup, mostly off offensive rebounds, capped by a putback on a miss by Teng that made it a 96-80 count with 1:47 left.
Honorable Mention: After a horrendous outing against the Tigers where he even fouled out late in regulation, the 6-foot-2 Teng played like a man on a mission, aggressively attacking the paint while tallying 18 of his 20 points in the first 30 minutes of play.
Game Turning Point: A triple by Marata pulled UP within 77-82 but La Salle suddenly stepped on the gas with a blinding 14-3 onslaught anchored on Luigi Dela Paz and Perkins, extending the Green Archers’ lead to a comfortable 96-80 that virtually sealed the deal with 1:47 left.
Quotable Quotes:
La Salle coach Juno Sauler: “I told the boys that in every opportunity we have, try to get easy baskets. We just try to push the ball. Today, we have more assists than turnovers (21 against 14). He (Perkins) comes big when needed. We have no play for him but he gives us the numbers and rebounds. There’s nothing more that we can ask from him.”
Jeron Teng: “We’re starting to get used to coach Juno’s system. In our practice, coach Juno emphasized on our fastbreak. He wanted us to push the ball more.”
La Salle (96) – Teng 20, Perkins 20, Vosotros 15, N. Torres 14, T. Torres 14, Dela Paz 7, Van Opstal 6, Bolick 0.
UP (84) – Marata 21, Lao 18, Asilum 12, Suarez 9, Ball 8, Soyud 5, Pascual 3, Ligad 3, Gallarza 3, Desiderio 2, Wong 0, Amar 0.
Quarterscores: 24-19; 48-44; 75-67; 96-84.
