By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
They were down, but they were never out.
They got scratched, but they never collapsed.
Seven years of darkness. Now, they saw the light.
Finally, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers are once again kings of the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after outdueling the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 73-69, during the winner-take-all Game 3 of the finals last December 6, 2023, held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
In front of a record-breaking 25,192 crowd, the Green Archers played an inspired brand of basketball to weather the storm after playing catch-up for the majority of the game.
With the help of their relentlessness in chasing for the loose balls that gave them tons of second -chance points, the Green Archers finally showed who they really were in the final 10 minutes of action.
It was all UP in the first three quarters as their pick-and-roll set plays for superstar center Malick Diouf were doing damage for the Green Archers.
Diouf was unstoppable down the block and was scoring at will every time DLSU failed to go under the screen when either JD Cagulangan or Janjan Felicilda called the two-man play.
Despite UP’s disappointing shooting from the three-point line, their scoring in the shaded lane and their free throw attempts kept them alive in the game and helped them maintain a five-point lead until the fourth quarter.
However, in the crucial minutes of the fourth, the duo of Evan Nelle and reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kevin Quiambao joined hands to help DLSU retake the advantage.
With 6:36 remaining in the do-or-die game, Quiambao kicked off DLSU’s scoring avalanche after draining a three-pointer from the top of the key that trimmed their deficit to just a deuce, 63-65.
After Diouf countered with an easy basket down the paint to put UP ahead by four points again, 63-67, Nelle answered with a long three-point bomb to get DLSU within a point, 66-67.
Quiambao then took over in the final four minutes after giving DLSU the lead, 70-67, off a one-handed floater, and added two more points after going perfect from the charity stripe.
Unfortunately for UP, they only scored two points in six minutes and went cold in the most crucial stretch of the championship game.
Diouf’s putback bucket during the 6:05 mark was their last made field goal and were also hounded by several turnovers and poor shot selection.
With 35 seconds left, the Fighting Maroons had the chance to trim DLSU’s lead to just a point but Quiambao swatted away Gerry Abadiano’s layup attempt that proved to be the game-winning play for the Green Archers.
Quiambao grabbed the spotlight in Game 3 after tallying 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
Aside from winning the regular season MVP award, Quiambao’s stellar showing in the grand finals stage also helped him clinch the Finals MVP trophy.
The ever-reliable Nelle also stepped up for the Green Archers and wrapped up his final UAAP game with 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals, and a block.
On the other hand, the graduating Diouf led the Fighting Maroons with 21 points and 14 rebounds while his fellow senior CJ Cansino added five markers.
