Green Archers outscores NU, sets up final game vs UP
November 26, 2023
La Salle Green Archers once again demonstrated their championship credentials by pulling off a hard-fought 88-79 upset against the formidable UP Fighting Maroons in the thrilling UAAP Season 86 Men’s Basketball match at the Mall of Asia Arena.
In a vindictive clash, La Salle handed the Maroons, the league’s leading squad, their second loss of the season, bolstering their title aspirations. Kevin Quiambao, an MVP frontrunner, emerged as the shining star with a dominant performance of 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 steals, all while sustaining an accidental cut near his eye.
This gutsy victory takes La Salle’s overall record to an impressive 7-3, practically rubber-stamping their championship credentials, while the Maroons’ standing is now shared with the NU Bulldogs at 8-2. Despite the loss, UP has already secured a minimum of a playoff for a spot in the Final Four.
La Salle Head Coach Topex Robinson elucidated, “We know coming into this game that UP will be the beacon of this season. We aimed to prove how far we’ve come as a team.” Robinson pointed out that the players were psyched to turn the tables after an unbearable loss to UP in the first round.
In the game, Quiambao, displaying true leadership, scored 11 of the last 14 points for the Archers, helping keep UP at bay and retaliate their first-round loss. Despite the absence of two key players, JD Cagulangan (hamstring) and reigning MVP Malick Diouf (sprained wrist), UP put up a brave fight. CJ Cansino stood out with 20 points, and rookie Janjan Felicilda’s near double-double of 13 points and nine boards kept the UP bandwagon afloat.
In what now seems like a fight for the Final Four spots, La Salle takes a solo, well-deserved third place while UP jointly leads the team standings alongside NU. As the season heats up, not only does this victory inject newfound confidence in La Salle, but it also throws open the title race, making this year’s UAAP Men’s Basketball championship an unpredictable and thrilling contest to watch.
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