After clinching the silver medal in UAAP Season 85, things unexpectedly went downhill for De La Salle University’s women’s basketball program.
The Lady Archers finished Season 86 in fifth place with a 7-7 record, missing out on a Final Four berth after a rough start – they ended the first round with a disappointing 1-6 card.
Heading into Season 87, expectations were higher for La Salle to regain its winning form. However, they ended the first round once again with a 1-6 record, including a stunning 65-47 defeat to the University of the East last September 22.
That loss made matters worse, as the Lady Archers were on the wrong side of history – UE snapped a 40-game losing streak that dated back to Season 82.
With that in mind, graduating forward Bernice Paraiso felt determined to avenge La Salle’s first-round loss and open the second round on a strong note.
La Salle responded with a commanding 74-46 victory over UE on Saturday afternoon at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“I think this win was really a must-win game for us. Siyempre may konti na gigil dahil natalo kami noong first round, and we really wanted to give back to all those who have been supporting us throughout the entire year. ‘Yon, hopefully matuloy-tuloy namin ito throughout the second round,” the 25-year-old Bernice, sister of former Green Archer Brent, shared.
“Mas gigil kami kasi naging streak-ender kami, and not in a good way, so I think the motivation to bounce back this round was really there. We really wanted to get the momentum coming into the second round.”
After a shaky start to the season, head coach Cholo Villanueva praised Paraiso’s leadership on and off the court, helping steer her team back in the right direction.
The La Salle-Zobel alumna delivered an efficient double-double performance, tallying 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, 10 rebounds, four steals, and two assists.
She also posted a game-high plus-26 rating in just 24 minutes and 17 seconds of action.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“First, wherever our seniors go, that’s where the team goes. Chuchi played like a true veteran in leading our team, had a plus-26 in efficiency. We just wanted it more this time,” Villanueva explained.
She also admitted, “We were flat in the first round, but this time we were more aggressive from the start. We were able to dictate the game from beginning to end.”
The Lady Archers are looking to avoid a repeat of their Season 86 campaign. With that history in mind, Paraiso emphasized the importance of staying within Villanueva’s system to ensure they end up on the right side of history this time.
“One thing we can do throughout the season is to play within Coach Cholo’s system. Trust in his system, trust in the process, and eventually, we’ll get where we want to be,” Paraiso concluded.
