By: Jerod Orcullo
De La Salle-Zobel’s road to the UAAP Season 87 Boys’ Basketball Final Four just got even steeper.
The Junior Archers found themselves outmatched by the rampaging National University Bullpups, suffering a lopsided 86-60 defeat on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The loss dropped them to a tie for fifth with the UE Junior Warriors.
With fewer than four games remaining in the season, it would be easy to assume that DLSZ is in panic mode, especially with tough match-ups against Adamson and UST looming.
However, Kieffer Alas, the tournament’s second-leading scorer, reaffirmed that the Junior Archers remain determined to fight for a spot in the semifinals.
“The morale is still high, kasi alam namin na beatable naman yung ibang teams,” he said in an interview with Tiebreaker Times.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Through 10 games, the 6-foot-2, Grade 11 guard has been a dominant force, averaging a double-double with 18.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.
As both the team’s primary scorer and facilitator, Alas acknowledged that there are still areas of his game that need improvement.
“I think I have to boost up my stamina talaga. I need to be able to go 100-percent for all games since I need to lead this team as well.”
At one point, DLSZ stood at 3-1, looking poised not just to break into the Final Four but to potentially secure one of the top seeds in the tournament.
However, since suffering a tough 67-82 loss to the Tiger Cubs to open February, the Junior Archers have struggled. They fell short in five of their last six games, including their latest defeat against the Bullpups.
Despite the rough stretch, Alas remains optimistic, noting the progress he has seen from himself and his teammates as they approach their final few games.
“Yung ball movement and morale namin, since as a team, I think we improved kasi our attitudes and egos, we put them aside. So we’re just going to keep on grinding ‘till we get to the Final Four,” the 17-year-old son of Ateneo assistant coach Louie Alas said.
De La Salle-Zobel’s upcoming match-up could be a make-or-break moment for its Final Four hopes, as it takes on the Adamson Baby Falcons on February 23 at 4:00 PM.
