Will DLSU perform another miracle?

THE GAME OF MY LIFE By Bill Velasco
Saturday, October 6, 2007

De La Salle University did what nobody thought could be done, and that was to beat the University of the East in men’s basketball this season. After 14 games that proved the futility of the endeavor, the Green Archers did it, by the slimmest of margins, 64-63.

Many things struck me at courtside during the game. It was watching two different temperaments in action. DLSU played in waves that came and ebbed, while UE was trying to maintain an even flow all throughout. Each team was also revealed for all its weaknesses. If you play at an even keel all throughout the game, how do you know when to turn it on, and who to turn to? And if you’re playing on emotion and in waves, how do you make sure the wave roars in when you need it most?

Each team had its spurts, and played to its strengths. De La Salle showed different looks on defense, but was woeful from the floor most of the game. Cholo Villanueva basically kept them in it in the first half, as UE would lead from between five to eight points throughout the half.

In the first half, UE had a whopping 34 rebounds to DLSU’s tepid 13. Hans Thiele would finish the game with 16 boards and probably more bruises, as the more earthbound Green Archers could do nothing but bump him out of positions. Mark Fampulme was tough to keep away from the basket. Unfortunately, UE’s hard work off the glass would be counteracted by their unstoppable propensity for throwing away the ball. But DLSU could not get any points inside.

What surprised me, though was the end of the third quarter. The Green Archers scored only one free throw by PJ Walsham in the last 6:07 of the period. But UE didn’t fare much better, making only seven in that span, five of them free throws. This was not a typical championship game.

The fourth quarter was more of the same, with De La Salle’s championship experience showing through. TY Tang bailed them out of this one, as JV Casio and Villanueva had done their part.

As UE kept bleeding errors (they would finish with a league season-high 31, eclipsing the previous high of 29 by Ateneo), DLSU started to gradually wear them down. With under a minute to go, Casio gave them a three-point lead. Mark Borboran then canned a heart-stopping triple with 34 seconds left to tie the count. On the next play, a three-pointer for the Green Archers went awry, and for once, the Red Warriors didn’t keep Rico Maierhofer away. Because of the ensuing foul, Maierhofer – who had been limping because of an aggravated sprained ankle – had trouble pushing off on his right foot and made only one free throw to make it 64-63, with 14.1 ticks left.

Marcy Arellano drove in, but decided to kick it out to Borboran, hoping for a repeat. The shot rattled out, the tip-in missed, and DLSU won. UE had outrebounded them 60-37, but the turnover hemorrhage was too much.

Will UE continue with what has worked all season, and try to win with efficiency? Will DLSU show more surprises on defense and come up with another miracle?