- Finally a win, 73-63! Against a UP team that proved to be an even match during the pre-season.
- UP took the early lead on hot shooting from UP, particularly Martin Reyes. However, after his initial outburst, he was shackled by the defense.
- For the first time, La Salle led at halftime.
- Franz went to the veterans for most of the game, and they delivered. James was the first Archer to break the double digit scoring barrier, followed by Joshua, who did it on pure hustle and energy. Hyram was effective, but his playing time was limited by his fouls, as was Simon’s.
- Maui showed aggressiveness in going for his shot early in the game with some success, scoring on a mid-range jumper and in the paint, but was content to help set up the plays for the rest of the game.
- Bader showed why he is held in high regard by the coaches, working tirelessly on defense and finally finding his shot. He scored on back-to-back triples that created separation from the ever-dangerous Maroons, as well as on a couple of drives.
- Ferdinand continued his steady play in the slot, banging bodies with and making life difficult for the UP front line. The interior defense of the Archers clogged the lane, effectively neutralizing Woody Co and Magi Sison. Kish Co, Arvie Bringas, and James alternated in manning the paint and making it difficult for UP to penetrate
- After not making any blocks in the first 2 games, the Archer defense blocked 3-4 UP shots, one by Simon on his former teammate Martin Reyes.
- The pressure defense forced UP into 32 errors for the game. Perimeter defense was also better, and UP was forced into a few shot clock violations because they could not get clear of their defenders.
- There are sill some rough spots, notably passing errors. And there is still some uncertainty on the offense. These will be minimized gradually as the season moves on.
- UP applied their own version of the press which allowed the Maroons to claw their way back from a double digit lead to trail by 3, but successive baskets by the Archers brought the lead back to a manageable level.
- The Archer press break will need some fine tuning. Franz played a 2 point guard configuration in the 4th quarter to counteract the UP press. Joel Tolentino continued to impress, and played very effectively with Simon.
- Jed Manguera made his first appearance in the tournament, late in the first half. Gab Banal and Yutien Andrada did not play.
- Scores:
DLSU 73 – Mangahas 15, Malabes 14, Webb 13, Villanueva 8, Ferdinand 6, Bagatsing 6, Barua 4, Bringas 3, Tolentino 2, Atkins 2, Mendoza 0, Marata 0, Manguera 0, Co 0.UP 63 – Gomez 14, Reyes 11, Padilla 10, Lopez 6, De Asis 6, Sison 4, Co 4, Reyes 4, Gamboa 2, Braganza 2, Astorga 2, Maniego 0, Hipolito 0, Juruena 0.
Quarters: 17-21, 29-25, 50-45, 73-63.
