It was a toe-to-toe loss for the green squad.
De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) Stallions tallied their first defeat in the elimination round of the 19th season of the Southern Luzon Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SLCUAA) after being outclassed by the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) Altas, 56-48, at the Malayan Colleges Laguna (MCL) gymnasium, Cabuyao, Laguna, Dec. 1.
With the Stallions having a scoreless start in the first seven minutes of the first quarter, the team’s composure remained sluggish after committing five team fouls that further rendered the Altas’ penalty free throws to secure the advantage, 8-4.
However, DLSL entered the second quarter showing a tighter offense through Jeremy Capili’s two three-point attempts and another from Raphael Dimayuga’s shot beyond the arc that forced a 9-3 run in favor of DLSL, forcing the opponents to huddle-up, 20-21.
Determined to regain the floor dominance, Altas immediately countered with two consecutive fast break lay-ups plus a buzzer-beater jumper of Pao Lira to a 27-21 mark.
The Stallions, nonetheless, showered another three-pointer show in the second half, owing to Capili and Royen Cutanda’s two corner threes that balanced the momentum, 43-39.
Meanwhile, Altas’ rebounding machine, Mark Caliwag, banked critical offensive boards along with his under the rim lay-up that damaged the physical defense of DLSL late in the final quarter, 53-48.
Stallion’s John Erick Andaya, who was running behind Caliwag on a fast break with less than a minute on the clock, attempted to block the attack but ended up committing a foul by hitting Caliwag’s face as he countered an attempted three-point play, concluding the match with an exhausting 56-48 loss for DLSL.
When asked about DLSL’s performance, Capili said that their match against the Altas was obviously physical but he also reiterated that it was just part of the game.
“Kulang din kasi kami, as in kulang talaga. Wala kaming mga pamalit lalo na sa mga big men. Guards na yung mga pumapalit sa pang-forward [position] halos,” Capili said.
The Stallions are currently in the first seed of the season with a 3-1 win-loss record.
