In a stiff duel, the De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) Stallions outgunned Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas (LPU) Pirates in the 20th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) during the men’s basketball eliminations at the DLSL SENTRUM, Nov. 17.
Firing up early in the game, Ian Abila of the Stallions inscribed the court with his swift layups, listing a total of 14 points coupled with four 3-point shot assists by Jeremie Capili.
Securing a six-point lead during the first half of the game, the Stallions kept the momentum in their favor and maneuvered the game through the efforts of Capili who delivered accurate three-pointers to break the defense of the Pirates, 30-24.
LPU Pirates tried to infiltrate the third period with a backdoor assist, consecutive two-point shots and blocks against the attempts of the Stallions, shifting the lead in favor of LPU, 48-47.
However, the counter-strategy of the green team cut the momentum of the Pirates as the Stallions evened over the one-point advantage score of LPU midway of third quarter, tying the game at 51-51.
DLSL dominated the last quarter of the game starting with Capili’s 3-point breakthrough, Carlo Ramon Macario and Michael Baldovino’s two and three points shots respectively, 65-63.
Assistant Coach Nelson Gonzales commended the team’s triumph saying, “Maganda ang laro ng mga bata, sumunod [sila] sa sistema. Looking forward [kami] na makuha muli namin ang SLCUAA, along with NCAA [title] sa sunod naming panalo.”