After that statement win against UST last Saturday, La Salle will look to sustain the momentum tomorrow against another team that is still searching for their first win this season.
Let’s get real guys. The Red Warriors need to have an absolutely perfect game on both ends to have a shot in staging an upset here. With very few scoring options inside, their best bet is to have the same hot shooting game UP displayed against us. That scenario is unlikely though considering they are second to the last in perimeter points hitting just 23% of their shots from beyond the arc. Given this, along with the fact that the Green Archers are slowly but surely regaining their championship form, this game’s outcome is most likely a foregone conclusion.
Nevertheless, the Green Archers still need to take this match seriously and should also see this as an opportunity to further work on their cohesiveness and more importantly, polish their defense. It is surprising to see the team scoring close to 100 points per game while at the same time allowing their opponents to score at an average of 91 points. Perimeter defense has not been solid at this point of the season.
Also, this game would allow our reserve players to get significant court action and develop their confidence. Last game, Gabe Capacio, Joshua Gonzales and Ramil Tero have showed that they can be good straight-up defenders while also contributing on offense. With Aljun Melecio still out of commission due to Dengue, we are expecting to see these three to be part of the backcourt rotation tomorrow. The team needs to build on its depth and it is important that all players be at their full-potential entering the second round of the tournament.
By all means, tomorrow’s match-up against UE is just as important as any game the Green Archers has played so far. This also serves a good preparation going into their all-important encounter against Ateneo this Sunday to close out the first round.