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SIMOUN SAYS: Has DLSU Figured Out How to Stop UP This Season?

With all due respect to the conclusion of the PBA quarterfinals and the white-hot action in NCAA season 100, nothing was more important in the Pinoy hoops landscape on Sunday night than the UAAP.

Though this game was “just” an elimination-round game, there were tremendously high stakes heading into this Oct. 6 main event. UP wanted to extend its winning streak—they’d won six straight to start Round 1—and get back at its tormentors from last season’s Finals. DLSU looked to wrest the top spot in the standings and remind everyone that they’re the reigning, defending champions.

On this sizzling Sunday night, one DLSU player gave some clear-cut answers, perhaps silencing doubters who claim that the Green Archers’ title defense is on some shaky ground. Meanwhile, one UP player left spectators with some baffling questions.

And boy, did that JD Cagulangan-sized hole in the UP roster have serious implications.

Whether you’re judging by the numbers—the statistical points in the MVP race, to be precise—or a simple eye test of team dynamics, Cagulangan is the undisputed fulcrum of the Fighting Maroons on both ends of the floor. He sets the Maroons’ aggressive tone on defense, dishes the ball to scorers with precise timing, and goes on a glorious DIY mode when his teammates just aren’t getting their act together.

Without Cagulangan, the Fighting Maroons coughed up a measly 25 points in the first half. They shot a miserable 21.2% from the field, mostly due to forced shots against La Salle’s interior defense. On top of that, UP made just one of their nine outside attempts and basically missed one out of every two free throws. Meanwhile, they let La Salle score seven treys, including conversions from Joshua David and Lian Ramiro that broke their zone formations.

La Salle, however, relied too much on perimeter shooting in the first six minutes of the 3rd quarter. The Green Archers’ shot selection, along with the hot hand of Harold Alarcon, led to UP going on a 14-2 run to make it a two-possession game. At one point, the Fighting Maroons cut the lead to two; moments later, coach Goldwin Monteverde took Alarcon out of the game. This was a bit of a head-scratcher, as Alarcon had momentum on his side with little apparent fatigue.

And then, Kevin Quiambao happened.

There are many definitions of Most Valuable Player, but here’s a simple framework we can all agree with: An MVP gives their team a boost when it’s needed the most. Late in the third quarter, Quiambao did just this; with a booming triple and a midrange bucket, he stopped UP’s run and restored La Salle’s control over the game.

It’s no coincidence, then, that David, EJ Gollena, and JC Macalalag hit midrange buckets to keep UP at bay in the 4th quarter. Even with Quentin Millora-Brown proving to be a handful for Mike Phillips (a phrase, by the way, that I never thought I’d type), DLSU kept their foot on the gas as their King Archer led the charge. The exclamation point was written when KQ and Motor Mike ran a variant of their favorite play: a Phillips drag screen that opens up a popping Quiambao from beyond the arc. There was a little under four minutes left on the clock when KQ hit that three, but it might as well have been the dagger in La Salle’s 68-56 win.

One team unlocked valuable contributions from several players due to the stellar play of their main man. The other team looked out of sorts because their main man played zero minutes on the hardcourt.

What, then, does this game tell us about the top two teams in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament? Has DLSU indeed figured out the formula to victory against UP this season?

Simoun says: not yet, but they’re getting close.

This game has shown us that DLSU can hurt UP with its bevy of reliable shot-makers. The Archers also showed their mettle from beyond the arc (seven out of 10 outside attempts versus UP’s woeful two-for-20), as well as interior defense anchored by Quiambao, Phillips, and Henry Agunanne. I cannot, however, ignore the big caveat that must be taken into consideration when looking at this head-to-head matchup.

If the Fighting Maroons’ MVP candidate had played his usual minutes in this game, our conclusions regarding these two teams’ title chances could perhaps be a few steps closer to validity. But the reality is, he didn’t. At the end of Round 1, we’re left with a bunch of observations and a humongous question mark still hanging over our heads.

A win is a win for La Salle, and they have brilliantly fought their way to the top of the standings. Now, how would the Maroons fare against the Archers under the bright lights of the UAAP if JD Cagulangan were to suit up? That’s a question that’ll have to wait for Round 2. I simply cannot wait.

By the Numbers

1.3

The number of seconds left on the clock when Wello Lingolingo released the ball from his fingertips at the conclusion of the UE-Adamson thriller. Coming from the left elbow of the three-point line, Lingolingo—who was boxed out by zero Soaring Falcons—got all the way to the paint and grabbed the rebound off a Nico Mulingtapang miss. With Joshua Yerro’s hand in his face, the Red Warriors’ captain triple-pumped and got the bank shot to go. What a way for UE to secure their fifth straight victory and their best winning streak in a decade!

3

The number of times that June Mar Fajardo has pulled off a double-double consisting of at least 40 points and 20 rebounds. In the San Miguel Beermen’s series-clinching win over the feisty Converge FiberXers this past Sunday, Fajardo had 24 rebounds, including an eye-popping 13 offensive boards. Did we mention that this guy is turning 35 next month?

98.5%

The percentage of votes from WNBA media in favor of Caitlin Clark as the 2024 Rookie of the Year. Clark, who set the benchmark for points scored and three-point field goals converted by a rookie, received 66 out of 67 votes cast. As for the one vote she didn’t get? It went to her longtime rival, of course.

Tweet of the Week

After watching the Las Vegas Aces celebrate their 2023 WNBA title win inside Barclays Arena, the New York Liberty got sweet payback by eliminating their rivals from the 2024 playoffs. The Liberty—powered by the lethal duo of Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart—won their semifinal series 3-1. For good measure, they placed a pair of Timbs on the halfcourt line of the Aces’ home venue. That’s just…cold.