Tension out, enjoyment in: Archers let selves loose with 23-0 rain of arrows vs Falcons
MANILA, Philippines – Enjoyment in playing basketball fueled the La Salle Green Archers’ 71-58 rout of the Adamson Soaring Falcons in Wednesday’s UAAP Season 86 basketball action.
Trailing by three in the third quarter, 38-35, the Green Archers unleashed a 23-0 blitz against the Soaring Falcons that gave them a 58-38 lead just a few minutes later.
They rode the run as they secured a 71-58 victory over Adamson.
Kevin Quiambao, who scored 15 points in the quarter, acknowledged that the team was playing “tense” in the first half, which led them to go behind by a point at the half.
In the second half, though, they shrugged off the cobwebs and played with enjoyment.
“Our tension was gone. We enjoyed the game,” Quiambao told reporters in Filipino.
At the same time, the team also stuck to their system.
“When we stuck to our system, the shots just came for us. The good thing was we enjoyed it,” he said.
“We valued every possession, and it was a good thing that we converted. We were also able to stop Adamson. That run is us just sticking to the system,” he added.
During the run, Quiambao either scored or assisted on most of the plays.
One of the most memorable plays in the stretch was a no-look alley-oop pass to Michael Phillips, who brought down a dunk plus the foul.
“We were too tense in the first half. Coach [Topex Robinson] just told us to enjoy the game, enjoy playing together. So, in the second half, we just enjoyed the game,” Phillips said.
“In this league, it’s really hard to keep a team down like Adamson. So, we really tried to fight it out until the buzzer. So, we’re happy we came out with this win,” he added.
Quiambao finished the game with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Phillips, on the other hand, tallied 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
The big win over the Soaring Falcons gave the Green Archers their third victory in four games, putting them in a tie with the NU Bulldogs.
