Archers keep Tigers off target to secure solo second in UAAP

Up against the deadliest shooting team in the league, La Salle knows exactly what to do best. The Green Archers worked extra hard on the defensive end to keep the University of Santo Tomas Tigers off target en route to preserving a 61-53 triumph in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Philsports Arena Sunday.

Working their defense like clockwork enabled the Archers to dictate the tempo of the game and with half of the job done, the Taft-based dribblers let their offense flow from every stop and set the tone for the rout. The Archers even posted 19-point leads twice, the last of which was at 41-22, with 7:13 let in the third period. "We have to play defense from the three-point range because UST loves to shoot from that area and luckily we were able to do that," said coach Dindo Pumaren. "We have to finish strong and one thing I said was to forget that loss to FEU. We were positive (entering this game). Our mindset was to push the ball after every stop," he added. La Salle’s defense was busy enough to bother a steady shooting squad like UST, which shot only 6-of-23 from the beyond-the-arc. The Tigers were averaging 10 triples per game, including a record 16 treys in back-to-back games. But just when everybody thought UST’s shooting has gone cold all game long, Clark Bautista brought his team back in the thick of the fight. His basket shoved the Tigers to within 53-49 with four minutes left in the contest. It was the closest UST could get and La Salle was able to preserve its fourth win in six outings to climb into solo second. La Salle’s win over UST was its 21st in their last 22 outings dating back Game 1 of their 1999 finals. Bautista took matters into his own hands and brought his team back. He had a chance to keep UST within striking distance with less than four minutes to go, but his corner triple rimmed out. It was then La Salle got their second wind. Maui Villanueva split his charities, Luigi de la Paz scored a jumper and then Almond Vosotros dropped a pass inside to lanky center Yutien Andrada for a 59-49 La Salle lead with 1:37 left to play. - RCJ, GMANews.TV