De La Salle University routed Adamson University with an emphatic 82-52 wire-to-wire victory in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
Fresh off a close win against National University, the Green Archers came out strong, flexing their dominance to improve their record to 2-0.
“We weren’t really looking at the score. We’re just playing basketball. Again, we tried to keep the energy, that’s why we pretty much used everybody just so we’d have the same energy. That’s just who we are and what we do,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.
La Salle wasted no time asserting control, opening with a 20-6 first quarter that set the tone for a commanding performance throughout the game.
Vhoris Marasigan’s baseline jumper with 2:34 left in the third quarter pushed the Green Archers’ lead to an insurmountable 27 points, and a three-pointer from Matthew Rubico capped off the night, establishing their biggest lead at 30 points to seal the final scoreline.
Reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao led the charge, finishing with 21 points on a composed 7-of-13 shooting, while adding five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.
UAAP Season 86 Boys’ Basketball Mythical Team member Doy Dungo had a breakout game, sinking all five of his three-point attempts for 15 points.
Meanwhile, 6-foot-11 Nigerian center Henry Agunanne posted a double-double, contributing 11 points and a towering 16 rebounds.
“At the start of the game, I was out of rhythm, but Coach Topex told me that I’d get my redemption, so I just kept fighting and playing defense,” said Agunanne.
Ball movement was a crucial factor for the Green Archers, who recorded 27 assists out of their 31 made field goals.
Up next for La Salle is a highly anticipated matchup against archrival Ateneo de Manila University, set for Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
On the other hand, Adamson’s fourth-year big man Cedrick Manzano was the lone Falcon in double digits with 15 points and eight rebounds. Matthew Montebon and Manu Anabo contributed seven points each.
With the loss, Adamson dropped to 1-1 and will look to bounce back against the University of Santo Tomas on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
The Scores:
DLSU 82 – Quiambao 21, Dungo 15, Agunanne 11, Macalalag 9, Marasigan 8, Gollena 7, Rubico 3, Ramiro 3, Gonzales 3, Abadam 2, Alian 0, David 0, Phillips 0, Konov 0.
AdU 52 – Manzano 15, Montebon 7, Anabo 7, Yerro 6, Ojarikre 4, Erolon 3, Fransman 3, Alexander 3, Barasi 2, Mantua 2, Calisay 0, Dignadice 0, Ramos 0, Ignacio 0, Ronzone 0, Barcelona 0.
Quarterscores: 20-6, 44-27, 65-45, 82-52.
