FilOil: Sumang sizzles as Warriors defeat Archers

(Updated 7:43pm) In a possible UAAP Final Four match-up, last year’s seventh-placers showed they’re ready to battle it out with the best.

Roi Sumang and the “new” UE Red Warriors bested the De La Salle University Green Archers, 60-53, on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan, as part of the elimination round of the FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup.

Drawing on last year’s seventh place finish, UE coach Boysie Zamar said, “Losing makes you lose confidence. I think they’re back on the field, ready to fight again just like real warriors. I think they should be called the ‘new’ UE Red Warriors.”

Roi Sumang (13 points, six rebounds, four assists) hit two consecutive baskets late to secure the win for the Red Warriors. He hit a jumper over two defenders on the first and banked in a tough lay-up on the second.

“Ewan ko, hindi ko alam kung pano nangyari yun,” said Sumang, “Basta tinira ko na lang.”

La Salle had a chance to overtake UE as Gabby Reyes’ wide-open triple from the right corner cut the Red Warriors' lead to a single point, 54-53. The Green Archers’ ball-handling problems however continued to haunt them, as the UE Red Warriors scored on three straight possessions after that trey, mostly off Green Archer miscues.

“You have to credit it to the players, they’ve been doing the extreme. Sobrang ganda ng laro, sobrang sama ng laro, walang consistency” said Coach Zamar. “We have to remember, La Salle is La Salle, 5-0 is 5-0.”

UE scored a total of 26 points off 28 La Salle turnovers, accounting for almost half of their team’s points in a low-scoring tiff.

Fringe player Dan Alberto came up big in the fourth quarter for the Warriors, providing steady ball-handling and heady defense while chipping in a few points off high-energy drives.

Coach Zamar was proud of his role players who came up big in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, “It’s not only Roi; he knows his role. Look at [Dan] Alberto and [Gino] Jumao-As coming off the bench. It’s about delegation. Roi delegates. That means he trusts in his teammates. Ivan Hernandez was there. Even [Jairold] Flores was doing something. It’s more about trusting, it’s more about confidence.”

Center Charles Mammie topped his team in scoring with 13 points to go along with nine rebounds. He sat out for most of the fourth quarter due to foul trouble, but managed to score two crucial points in the final canto. Sumang added 13 markers on 19 shots.

The Recto-based squad made 26 of their 74 field goal attempts (35 percent), but just two of their 14 tries from downtown and six of their 12 free throws. They did however manage to swipe seven possessions off rickety De La Salle ball movement.

The Red Warriors end their eliminations round exceeding expectations, punching themselves a ticket to the quarterfinals with a 6-2 card. The second-worst team in the UAAP last season (3-11) takes a breather for a week or so while waiting for the FilOil playoffs to commence. Their seeding will be determined by how La Salle ends their eliminations round, as the Green Archers have two games left (vs. CSJL, vs. AdMU), though the red and white will not fall beyond the number three spot.

The Green Archers endured their first loss of the season (5-1), and now sit at the number two spot with rivals Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles (6-1) at the number one spot.

“Yung mga players natin used to be losers, at least kahit papano in their own sense they can be winners. Though it is a preseason, sa aming part, malaking bagay yun”, said Coach Zamar of their finish.

Both factions traded baskets early in the quarter, as Jeron Teng scored La Salle’s first four points, while Adrian Santos and JM Noble both chipped in for their team’s four. DLSU pulled away after Norbert Torres’ inside shot, Thomas Torres short jumper, and Perkins’ triple, for an early 11-4 advantage, prompting Coach Boysie Zamar to sue for time. The respite failed to stop DLSU's momentum though, as the Archers cruised to a lead that went as high as nine points, as a jumper by Luigi De La Paz made it 20-11.

UE put together a short rally by the end of the first quarter, as Olivarez swished a three-ball and Sumido banked a lay-up to cut the DLSU lead to just four points, 20-16.

A triple by De La Paz widened the lead to seven, 23-16, but a pair of free throws by Sumido and a tip-in by Ivan Hernandez brought UE within three points, 23-20. The lead could have been slashed to a single point but Robert Bolick denied Sumang the easy lay-up on a chase-down block. Sumang was not denied on a second try and cut the lead to 23-22, making it DLSU coach Abanilla's turn to call a timeout.

Norbert Torres pounded the ball inside to extend the lead to three but Sumang popped a jumper on a fast break to keep them within one point, 25-24. UE snared the lead after a put-back by Mammie, 26-25, only for an awkward hook shot by Norbert Torres to give the lead back to La Salle, 27-26. He then drained two free throws to extend their difference to three points anew, 29-26.

Noble banked in a lay-up within the last two minutes of the first half to cut the lead again to a single point, but Gabby Reyes countered with a jumper inside 20 feet, to give De La Salle a three-point edge heading to the second half, 31-28.

The low-scoring affair continued in the third quarter, as the Warriors managed only 13 points while the Archers fashioned only 10 markers. Torres extended the La Salle lead to five with a stab inside, but Mammie returned the favor, again cutting the lead to three, 33-30. A triple by Gabby Reyes gave La Salle their biggest lead of the quarter at 36-30, but Mammie again came up with an answer, making the hoop and drawing the harm to make it a 36-33 match.

Thomas Torres fired a quick triple to up their advantage to six, but Sumido streaked in for a lay-up off a De La Salle turnover, 39-35, to which coach Abanilla called a quick timeout. Mammie scored four quick points off hook shots to bring the ball to a deadlock, 39-39, but Van Opstal countered with a tough hook inside to give La Salle a two-point advantage. A jumper by Olivarez from the left elbow finally leveled the game at 41-all, just a quarter left.

Van Opstal started the fourth quarter strong, as he barreled to the hoop and drew a foul, basket counted. He failed to make the free throw, 43-41, but Olivarez’s free throw and Mammie’s short hook gave UE the lead anew, 44-43. On the ensuing possession, reserve Jarelan Tampus drove to the right and cooly sank a jumper for the lead, 45-44.

A split by Van Opstal gave La Salle a two-point lead, but the Archers left the lane wide open for Dan Alberto, who darted for an easy two points. The Red Warriors finally clinched the lead off a pull-up jumper by Sumang, and the momentum went UE’s way, amplified by Ivan Hernandez’s clean block on a fast break attempt by Thomas Torres. The Warriors stretched the lead to five as Sumido hit a triple, 51-46.

A free throw by Jairold Flores  pushed the lead to six, 52-46, but Teng scored five straight points off muscle drives to make it a one-possession game, 52-50. With the game on the line, Teng switched on Sumang, who whizzed around the DLSU defense before handing off to an open Javier. The 6’5” bruiser banked the ball to give his Warriors a 54-50 advantage.

On a UE possession, Reyes blocked Alberto’s attempt, and the loose ball found itself in the hands of Thomas Torres. The point guard found an open Gabby Reyes, who swished a triple from the right corner pocket, cutting the lead to a single point, 54-53. Sumang however scored four straight points and Javier banked a lay-up off a steal to seal the deal for the Warriors.

The Green Archers shot better than their counterparts, making 21-of-55 attempts (38 percent) and added six makes off 16 tries from three-point range. They gave away 28 possessions though and made only five of their 13 free throws.

Both teams tallied 43 rebounds.

Norbert Torres notched 13 markers and six rebounds in a losing cause, the only Green Archer to score in double digits. Teng and Reyes dropped eight points each.

The Green Archers will combat the Knights on Monday, May 27 at 3:30pm, while the Red Warriors have played their last game of the eliminations round. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

UE 60 – Mammie 13, Sumang 12, Sumido 9, Olivarez 8, Javier 7, Noble 4, Hernandez 2, Santos 2, Alberto 2, Flores 1, Pujante 0, Guion 0, Casajeros 0, Jumao-as 0

DLSU 53 – Torres N. 12, Teng 8, Reyes G. 8, Van Opstal 7, Torres T. 5, De La Paz 5, Perkins 3, Bolick 3, Tampus 2, Vosotros 0, Montalbo 0, Paredes 0

Quarter scoring: 16-20, 28-31, 41-41, 60-53