Season 76 Finals Preview: DLSU vs. UST

De La Salle Green Archers (10-4, #2) vs. UST Growling Tigers (8-6, #4)

Let's admit it, all the hype behind the DLSU-UST Finals is mostly the match-up between the Teng brothers. But then, it's more than that.

Season 76 Matches

Round 1: UST def. DLSU, 63-58 (OT)

• Jeric Teng (UST): 23 pts (10/24 FG, 0/5 3FG), 2rebs, 3 assts
• Jason Perkins (DLSU): 13 pts (5/11 FG, 0/1 3FG), 9 rebs (4 ORebs), 2 assts
• Rebounding difference: +8 DLSU (52-44, 17-9 Orebs)
• Free throws: DLSU 9/19 (47%), UST 17/23 (74%), Jeron Teng fouled out in OT
• DLSU went on a 10-2 run in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 51, only to falter at the final minutes, with UST finishing the last five minutes with a 12-7 run

Round 2: DLSU def. UST, 69-64

• Jeron Teng (DLSU): 19 pts (6/14 FG, 1/2 3FG, 6/7 FTA), 11rebs (5 ORebs), 2assts, 1stl, 1blk
• Karim Abdul (UST): 18 pts (4/12 FG, 10/14 FTA), 12 rebs, 1stl
• Green Archers snapped the Growling Tigers' 3-game winning streak, sweeps the second round of the eliminations
• Rebounding difference: +12 DLSU (53-41, 19-9 ORebs)
• Free throws: DLSU 13/17, UST 23/30

Five Factors

1. Backcourt

DLSU

LA Revilla - 6.2 ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.5apg, 0.9spg, 0bpg

Almond Vosotros - 13.0ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.9apg, 0.2bpg

UST

Jam Sheriff - 2.8ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.9apg, 0.4spg, 0bpg

Jeric Teng - 12.4ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.9apg, 0.6spg, 0bpg

Coach Pido Jarencio took the risk of fielding in Sheriff instead of Ed Daquioag, and in the Final Four bout against the NU Bulldogs, having a pure point guard who is going to run and merely set up passes proved to be effective. Given that Sheriff had to battle it out with Gelo Alolino and Robin Rono, both scoring point guards of their own right, handling LA Revilla might not be that difficult for him. However, one has to take note that Revilla is a more potent and able scorer than Alolino or Rono, and can go on a scoring frenzy especially now that he has the height advantage.

The Green Archers, however, have to hope as well that Almond Vosotros' shooting touch would return just in time to save the team. Since his 6 of 16 performance against the UE Red Warriors, he's gone 6 of 38 in the next four games (UE, UST, and twice against FEU), making only 1 out of 29 triples. The swashbuckling, pistol-wielding Jeric Teng, meanwhile, is back to his old form as a volume scorer, with mastery on the high and mid-post on the left baseline that makes up for the fact that all season long, he has just shot barely 18% of his triples. What can only be DLSU's hope in placing Vosotros against Teng is the former's resilience and determination in defending and containing Teng, keeping him out of his comfort zones, forcing threes out of him instead of letting him post up and position himself for a bank shot.

Advantage: 60-40 UST. Jeric Teng's consistency carried them to the Finals. If DLSU wants to catch up, they are going to need Vosotros and Revilla together to work.

2.Frontcourt

DLSU

Jeron Teng - 14.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.0apg, 0.8spg, 0.5bpg

Jason Perkins - 12.5ppg, 9.5rpg, 1.7apg, 0.3spg, 0.6bpg

Arnold Van Opstal - 8.9ppg, 6.3rpg, 0.9apg, 0spg, 0.9bpg

UST

Aljon Mariano - 12.7ppg, 8.9rpg, 2.3apg, 0.5spg, 0.2bpg 

Kevin Ferrer - 12.4ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.9apg, 0.7spg, 0.9bpg

Karim Abdul - 15.1ppg, 11.4rpg, 1.1apg, 0.9spg, 2.0bpg

The Green Archers play defense, and it's anchored on their frontcourt. In their second round sweep, it was mostly the different combinations on the four and five spots that Coach Juno Sauler played that carried the whole team. Perhaps it's Arnold Van Opstal's huge improvement from Season 75 as well as the overall play of the Hefty Lefty that has made the difference so far in this elimination rounds. Van Opstal can pretty much manage the post and dominate whoever going against him, while Perkins set the perfect picks for Teng and Revilla to cut through and make outside shooters more available once the defense collapses on the paint.

The same can be said of UST, but with an asterisk: Karim Abdul's performance. The third year center has it all on both sides of the court: speed, ability to cut, the post, midrange shooting, manning the paint, and the list even goes on (his Final Four averages, on both games against NU, shot to 13-13, close to his elimination figures). There are times, however, that he just settles to pull up rather than bully his defender in or get past him after a hard pick. If the Growling Tigers want to win this championship after a rather dramatic Season 75 loss against the Blue Eagles, then it will all be up to Abdul to carry them.

Advantage: 80-20 DLSU. Not that UST's frontcourt game isn't good, but they can't have two Karim Abduls to match up against the Twin Towers.

3.Bench

DLSU

Norbert Torres - 7.1ppg, 8.2rpg, 0.8apg, 0.1spg, 0.6bpg, 23.3mpg
Thomas Torres - 5.8ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.6apg, 0.6spg, 0.2bpg, 20.8mpg

UST

Ed Daquioag - 8.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.4apg, 0.6spg, 0.2bpg, 23.3mpg
Clark Bautista - 8.4ppg, 3.7rpg, 1.6apg, 0.4spg, 0bpg, 27.2mpg

Both teams have players that can produce nearly as good as starting lineups, and with defined roles to boot. Thomas Torres has been playing great basketball in the second round, lowering his turnovers and becoming more efficient in scoring, despite the fact that he does not play the role of court general as good as Revilla. Norbert Torres can be paired up with either Perkins or Van Opstal, and there seems to be no decrease in the backcourt performance. As for the Growling Tigers, both Clark Bautista and Ed Daquioag can be relied for quick points, especially when the team has to either catch up or secure the lead. Daquioag's ability to get past slower defenders and even play against point guards (remember that he took the one spot early in the season before Coach Pido inserted Sheriff late in the season) makes him a fastbreak threat, while Bautista remains to be a threat from beyond the arc coming off pops or when standing by and waiting for a catch-and-shoot (23 of 79 triples at 29%, which is not really a bad thing considering his reputation as a "hit-or-miss" gunslinger). However, the scales tip on the Green Archers primarily because no one among the frontcourt guys from the bench can equal his performance (Paulo Pe obviously isn't anywhere near him). If DLSU can force Abdul to sit on the bench due to foul trouble, then the game's as good as done.

Advantage: 80-20 DLSU. Twin Towers. That is all that we need to remember.

4.Offense

If at all, the Growling Tigers have become consistent with their offense, starting with their match against the Blue Eagles. Jeric Teng is back to his former self, which relieves much of the pressure that Aljon Mariano and Kevin Ferrer has carried all season long. It seems that the Growling Tigers know at the back of their heads the offense that Coach Pido wanted for them since Season 75. The Green Archers, however, lived on adjustments all season long, and if it only comes down to responding to each other's shots, DLSU could have their own way not by responding to threes (unless Vosotros brings his A-game back) but to fish fouls and score on the posts or from pick-and-roll plays. If all goes well, expect a slugfest to happen.

Advantage: 60-40 UST. *makes the Jeric Teng gunslinging gesture*. Consistency has been the name of the game for the Tigers, and with Teng, Mariano, and Abdul becoming creative and selective in terms of their shots, whether inside or outside, the DLSU offense has to find their own way of responding to UST's.

5.Defense

This is what would decide everything, given that the Finals is about the top two defensive teams in the league. DLSU has the clear advantage on the paint, but they must hold the fort on the outside and not succumb to the temptation to stretch the defense too far to excessively cover UST's shooters. The second round matchup has shown how Coach Juno Sauler responds to UST's red-hot shooting and has his own ways of dousing it with cold water, and it should work given that the Growling Tigers have largely lived and died with the three-point shot.

Advantage: 70-30 DLSU. Again, UST's lack of (flexible) big men would make things more difficult for them on the defensive end. And if UST intimidated NU with their physical play, the same cannot be said of the Green Archers.

The Verdict:

DLSU in 3 games.

6 Points: AdMU vs. UST (Round 1)

Ateneo 61, Sto. Tomas 57

-The Blue Eagles' offense seemed to be a two-headed hydra in their final game in the first round of the eliminations. On one hand, they have brought out all their weapons on the first half, pouncing quickly on the Growling Tigers and taking advantage of their shaky start. However, things seem to have fallen apart during the final minutes of the game, when they allowed the Tigers to bounce back. Fortunately, key baskets by Ryan Buenafe, Chris Newsome, and Kiefer Ravena put the game at a considerable distance during the final minutes, enough to bring them to the Blue Eagles' third win for this season, ending the first round on a strong note.

-It really is not a good time for Ryan Buenafe to have an awful shooting night, but it did not stop him from having a good game by delivering late in the game and at the same time providing opportunities for his teammates to finish strong. He scored just 9 points, but provided the big plays late in the game to keep Ateneo afloat, including that huge triple and an easy layup from the backdoor with barely a few minutes left in the game. With Kiefer Ravena almost fully functional now, one can see how dangerous it will be for Buenafe to lead the team alongside Ravena and Newsome. All of them are active playmakers, shot-creators, and reliable clutch scorers, and when the going gets tough, this unholy trifecta can frustrate last-minute defensive plans and comeback attempts by opponents, as seen in this game.

-Another Newsome dunk with Karim Abdul trying to block it made this game a lot, lot better.


-It's quite surprising that the Blue Eagles have missed their free throws in the final minutes, making just about less than half of their charities in the final minutes. Had Ravena, Newsome, Frank Golla, and Nico Elorde were perfect from the line during the final stretch, then the heart attack situation could have been avoided. Fortunately, Kevin Ferrer and Ed Daquioag missed their game-tying threes, thus preventing an extra period for the game. The Blue Eagles should remember that as a team that scores with attacks and backdoor plays from the inside, making free throws is a must.

-This game not only marks the first time that the Blue Eagles actually have a winning streak, but also shows that it is possible for the Blue Eagles to manage the lead and take advantage of situations when the opponent is caught offhanded. The team jumped to a 15-point lead early, but the Growling Tigers were quick to respond and eventually trimmed the lead down in the final minutes; however, the Blue Eagles' offense has always been quick to respond, averting big runs and eventually the possibilities of UST to make a comeback. Another thing to notice here is that the Blue Eagles' team defense has been effective against Karim Abdul, who only scored six points in the game; however, what needs to be improved (especially in playing all other teams that have really tall African imports) is when to switch just in time to contest triples.

-Even with the absence of Jeric Teng (out with a shoulder injury), the Growling Tigers lived up to their name as comeback kids, and remain to be one of the most dangerous teams in the UAAP. Aljon Mariano clearly isn't in his 100% (having sprained the ankle that was previously fractured), but his 16 markers came from big baskets that prevented UST from being left behind. Clark Bautista established his reputation as an off-ball player from behind the arc, as he drained one after the other to keep the game close. But among them, it was Ed Daquioag and Kevin Ferrer who stepped up as the role players. While the former surprised the Blue Eagles with quick baskets of his own, the latter has been an all-around player for this game, taking responsibility for grabbing the boards, creating shot opportunities for himself and his teammates, and even shooting when demanded of him. However, it's too bad that these two failed to make the right plays at the right time. But rest assured, the game between the Blue Eagles and the Growling Tigers are going to be much more exciting once both reached their highest points and at 100 percent.

The Scores:

Ateneo 61 - Ravena 13, Newsome 10, Buenafe 9, Tiongson 9, Golla 8, Capacio 4, Pessumal 3, Tolentino 2, Erram 2, Elorde 1

UST 57 - Mariano 16, Daquioag 12, Bautista 11, Ferrer 9, Abdul 6, Lo 3, So 0, Pe 0, Hainga 0

Quarterscores: 19-6, 27-21, 47-39, 61-57

Credits to the Fabilioh Facebook page for the photo and GMA News Online for the box.