Sunday, Sept. 28, 2022, 12 noon. The Arellano University Chiefs were up against the NCAA defending champion, the Letran Knights. The Knights have not lost a game in 3 years. The Chiefs handed the defending champion its first loss in a come- from- behind win last Sunday afternoon.
The Chiefs encountered difficulty in finding their rhythm and were challenged by the good defense played by the Knights in the first quarter. They scored their first shot with the 2 free throws by Cade Flores, in a little over 2 minutes into the game. The Chiefs also had two shot clock violations; however, they also kept their defense strong which forced the Knights to commit a shot clock violation. From here, it was a steady climb for the Chiefs, with Axel Doromal cutting the lead of the Knights to 2 points at 9-7. They stayed on course and even led at the end of the first quarter 11-12, with AU Chief rookie Cade Flores who shot the buzzer beater for the lead.
The Chiefs started the 2nd quarter strong. Rookie Wilmar Oftana completed a 4-point play in this quarter; shooting beyond the arc and drawing a foul. Joshua Abastillas, Cade Flores, and Danielle Mallari led the defense, while Shane Menina organized the plays. Lars Sunga played quality minutes; he chipped in 2 pts along with quality defense. Wilmar Oftana also made a back-to-back 3 pointers, giving the Chiefs a lead of 6 PTS. However, the Knights were able to chip away the lead, tying the game at 28 all. AU Chief rookie Travis Mantua played quality defense and responded with a layup which gave the Chiefs a 2-point lead. The Knights came back strong towards the end of the 2nd quarter led by Louie Sangalang’s aggressive offense. The quarter ended with the Knights taking the lead at 34-30.
The Chiefs strayed behind the Knights in the 3rd quarter with a lead by as much as 13 PTS. But Wilmar Oftana stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer. Axel Doromal then scored with a lay up to cut the lead down to 9 points. The 3rd quarter ended with a score of 56 -47 in favor of the Knights.
In the 4th quarter the Chiefs” play was switched up to zone defense. They started the quarter strong with Shane Menina’s assist to Joshua Abastillas. Jade Talampas sparked the offense of the Chiefs with a 3- pointer; he also played good defense. Wilmar Oftana and Joshua Abastillas led the team’s defense early on while Shane Menina effectively conducted the Chiefs’ offense. With a little less than seven minutes remaining in the ball game, the Chiefs cut the lead down to 4 points with Shane Menina shooting a crucial 3 pointer and following it up with a baseball pass down the court to Cade Flores who gave the Chiefs a one-point lead. The Chiefs played steadily, with quality assists made by Shane Menina and Axel Doromal to Joshua Abastillas, along with good defense, they gained as much as 9 points.
The Knights started to rally in the last two minutes of the ball game, cutting the lead to four points with less than a minute left in the game. The Chiefs continued to stay aggressive and played good defense. The game concluded with 69-72 in favor of the Chiefs.
It was a team effort that ultimately led the Chiefs to their triumphant win last Sunday. The player of the game was Cade Flores with a performance of 18 PTS and 9 REBS. Also, with notable performances were Shane Menina with 10 ASTS, 4 REBS and 7 PTS; Axel Doromal with 14 PTS, 5 REBS, and 2 ASTS; Wilmar Oftana with 13 PTS, 4 BLKS, 5 REBS, 1 AST, and 1 STL; and Joshua Abastillas with 10 PTS, 3 REBS, 1 STL.
Jade Talampas chipped in 4 PTS, 3 STLS, 1 BLK, 1 AST and 1 REB; Travis Mantua with 5 REBS, 2 PTS and 2 ASTS; Danielle Mallari with 3 REBS, 2 ASTS and 2 PTS; Lars Sunga with 3 REBS and 2 PTS. Neil Tolentino and Kai Oliva added 4 and 2 REBS respectively.
In the post-game interview, AU Chiefs’ Head Coach Cholo Martin shared that it was Shane Menina who suggested the switch to zone defense. The adjustment proved to be favorable for the Chiefs in the 4th quarter scoring a total of 25 points to the Knights’ 13.
The Chiefs are currently with a record of 3-1, and are set to face the JRU Heavy Bombers on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022 at 3 PM.
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