Breaking down the San Beda win over La Salle in the Filoil quarterfinals

Breaking down the San Beda win over La Salle in the Filoil quarterfinals

by rick olivares

Let’s take a look at the La Salle Green Archers’ record in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup:

DLSU w UST 73-67

DLSU w SWU 98-61

DLSU w SSCR 90-74

DLSU w LPU 70-64

DLSU w EAC 91-63

UE w DLSU 60-53

DLSU w CSJL 64-45

AdMU w DLSU 78-70

SBC w DLSU 66-63

La Salle’s loss to San Beda was their first to a NCAA team in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup.

After starting out with five straight wins, they lost three of their last four. Two of the losses came to UAAP teams. Their win over UST, well, it is a different UST team now than what started the summer.

Is this cause for concern?

Yes, it is but not too much.

Yes, because you can say that except for UST, most of their wins came against not so great competition. Once they went up against the tough UAAP sides, they struggled.

No, because you can say they now know what they need to work on and make the adjustments in time for the UAAP.

How did San Beda defeat La Salle? Or what happened?

At the 3:57 mark, DLSU held a 10-point lead after Arnold Van Opstal fed Jeron Teng for a bucket, 63-53. That would be the last time they would score for the match as the Red Lions went on a game closing 13-0 run.

San Beda looked as if they were wilting under the pressure from spotty officiating and getting beaten inside by the Green Archers’ taller players. With Ola Adeogun in foul trouble, Van Opstal had gone to work against Kyle Pascual.

In two minutes, Van Opstal had four points and an assist in an 8-1 run to get that double-digit lead.

First, what killed the momentum were a couple of fouls on La Salle beginning with an offensive foul called on Teng after which Baser Amer converted a bucket. Norbert Torres was called for a foul where Adeogun hit one free throw. Torres’ foul put La Salle in penalty while San Beda had only a couple at that point.

Second, San Beda’s veterans took over while La Salle’s did not.

I have always said that Ateneo’s loss is San Beda’s game. We have all seen the maturity of Art de la Cruz’ game in his return to Mendiola. Not only does he play and score more now that he is a junior but he makes terrific passes so he isn’t only a one-dimensional player. Art kicked off the rally with a bucket and a couple of crucial rebounds.

Then Amer took over. I have seen this kid since he was in high school and his maamo looks aside, this guy has an assassin’s heart. He scored the final eight points and 10 of the last 13.

La Salle had Teng, Van Opstal, the Torreses, and Almond Vosotros in the game in those last few minutes while San Beda countered with Amer, dela Cruz, Rome dela Rosa, Kyle Pascual, and Ryusei Koga. Every one of them veterans. Save for Teng and Thomas Torres, the others are veterans who have logged time for their squad.

There was no go to player. Maybe that should have been Vosotros.

And third, in La Salle’s three losses, the Green Archers once more did not have that go-to player in the end.

The obvious go-to player of UE (Roi Sumang) and Ateneo (Kiefer Ravena) came through in the fourth period. Amer was in the midst of a difficult game but he came through.

He hit a long shot (initially counted as a three but changed to a two) with 2:11 to play. Drilled a turn around jumper over Thomas Torres at the 1:41 mark. Missed a triple that rattled out. Then closed out his barrage with four free throws.

San Beda isn’t its old dominant self. They look rocky and clearly in need of a reload. But they have enough savvy veterans to get them through. Championship experience helps but it’s not everything. The players from UE have none of that. Even in the match against Ateneo, some newbies like Anton Asistio and Vince Tolentino came through in the endgame.

Again, this is why you play the pre-season – to learn and to adjust. As I told my La Sallian friends, they’ll be okay in the UAAP.