UAAP: La Salle bucks second set scare, wallops UST in three

 

Aby Maraño scored 14 points from all over the court, leading the team to a blowout win in what was expected to be a possible playoff duel. 

 

“Number one plan talaga naming pigilan yung spiking game ng UST,” said La Salle head coach Ramil de Jesus. DLSU did just that, tallying 10 blocks to UST’s two, limiting them to only 46 points.

 

Cyd Demecillo recorded 12 points off attacks and Ara Galang notched 10, with the former being instrumental to the early lead that became a trend the entire game. La Salle is now carrying a perfect 2-0 record heading towards another 2-0 team, the National University Lady Bulldogs, a much-heralded game considering the talent level of both squads.

 

“Try talaga namin kung anong magagawa namin sa height nila,” said Coach de Jesus. “Pero malaking bagay talaga yung self-considence ng mga bata”.

 

The loss is UST’s first this season, following a win over the Lady Maroons last Wednesday.

 

The Lady Spikers began hot early in the first set, as Demecillo and Aby Maraño took advantage up front while denying the likes of Mela Tunay and Pam Lastimosa. UST only managed to score after a net violation by Mika Reyes and a kill from Tunay, as La Salle led 8-2 by the first technical timeout. The beatdown continued after the brief respite, as the green faction scored seven straight points before Reyes gave UST one with a service error, 15-3. By then, Coach Ogie Mamon had already inserted a different six onto the playing court, and they were down 16-3 by the second technical timeout.

 

UST’s second unit showed signs of life, as Meneses added two attacks of her own to cut the lead to 11, 17-6, but the Tigers just couldn’t solve the La Salle defense, even with Reyes rotating to the back. UST failed to generate any consistent offense while Demecillo and Maraño again punished them with attacks from the middle. UST lost the first set, 24-8, with half of their points off La Salle errors.

The Tigresses bared their claws early in the second set, going up 5-1 after a 4-0 spurt, topped off with two aces by Gutierrez. La Salle, however, scored four straight points, 8-7, to prompt the first technical timeout. UST built a three-point lead coming out of the timeout, with Meneses contributing to keep La Salle at a distance, 13-10. La Salle had some trouble with their service, while Tunay protected the three-point lead, 16-13, before the second technical timeout.

 

La Salle managed to cut the lead to a single point, 19-18, after a kill by Reyes. A tip by Galang locked the game at 20-20, before the Taft contingent grabbed the lead after Fajardo’s service ace. The defending champions led by as much as three after another ace by Fajardo, 24-21. Two deadlocks later, La Salle bagged the second set after consecutive attacks by Maraño and Galang, 27-25, with UST’s 11 unforced errors denting their otherwise strong offensive showing.

 

The ladies in green and white started the third set with the pedal to the metal, scoring five straight points before Coach Mamon sued for time. The timeout proved to be ineffective, as La Salle made it through the first technical timeout carrying a seven-point lead, 8-1. The Tigresses clawed back, as Lastimosa and Tunay provided some points, but the trend continued, as Reyes and Cheng rotated back in front, and La Salle carried a 10-point lead after the second technical break, 16-6.

 

The rout continued, as La Salle went on a 10-0 run, upping their lead to 16 points, 22-6. Tunay and Meneses put up enough points on the board to make the loss look respectable, but their defense looked tired. La Salle took advantage, as Cheng dumped the ball in the final possession to make it a three-set win against UST, 25-13.

 

Tunay was the lone Tigress to score in double figures with 10. Rookie Meneses followed suit with seven points.

 

The Lady Spikers look to keep their record spotless on December 11, when they go head-to-head against the NU Lady Bulldogs at 4pm, while the Tigresses look to bounce back on December 14, as they face the UE Lady Warriors at 2pm. - RAF, GMA News