The La Salle Green Archers got back into the win column on Sunday after back-to-back losses with a 112-87 blowout against the cellar-dwelling UE Red Warriors at the PhilSports Arena.
Mason Amos led the way for the Taft-based squad with a productive 19-point outing in the team’s highest-scoring game of the season so far, putting them in a quadruple tie with the NU Bulldogs, UP Fighting Maroons, and UST Growling Tigers with 2-2 win-loss record in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The senior forward said he was relieved to have finally rediscovered his groove against UE after a dismal scoring output in their first two games, where he combined for only 8 points against NU and UST.
“I just try to shift focus and mindset to just keep shooting and having confidence in myself, my teammates—trusting the coaches [and] the whole program,” the 6-foot-7 forward said postgame.
While the breakthrough win was crucial for the team to build momentum, Amos believes that the defending champions still have much to improve for a successful title defense.
“We can’t be having mental lapses. We just got to keep sticking together and practice hard,” he said.
Mason Amos Calls for Tougher Defense
The Taft-based squad also found themselves in a shaky start in Season 88 before going on a late surge that eventually earned them their 11th title in the league.
Entering this season with a huge void left by former captain Mike Phillips, Amos highlighted the team’s need to solidify their defense against tougher opponents coming up in their schedule.
“We know that against the bigger teams like Ateneo, UP, UST, NU, we can’t afford to have defensive lapses,” he said. “It can cost you a championship, it can cost you a game anytime,” he added.
La Salle head coach Topex Robinson expressed much excitement ahead of their next match against the red-hot Ateneo Blue Eagles, who are led by veteran tactician Louie Alas.
“Every Ateneo-La Salle game is a different animal… It’s always gonna be something that we always look forward to,” Robinson said. “It’s gonna be a very exciting experience for me as a young coach, learning from the way he handles teams, especially in college,” he added.
Mason Amos and the rest of the Green Archers will look to sustain momentum against the Katipunan-based squad on Wednesday, October 7, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
