Hoop Addict

WTF??? Pardon my language but that was what I and bleacherful of DLSU fans must have felt with the team’s performance in the first half of yesterdays game. The NU Bulldog’s vs the DLSU Green Archers in Round 2 of UAAP Season 71 was looking to be a rout and a major drubbing for the defending champs. NU raced to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter, DLSU tried to counter and brought it close, only to be down by 11 points at the half.

I guess after some “pep” talk at the half they decided to buckle down on their defense and started to bring order to their offense for them to finally claw back up to a lead on a Casio 3 with 4 minutes still left on the the 3rd quarter ticker. The hard work eventually paid off with a 79-67 win.

I have to give it to NU, they wanted the win more in the first half and they came better prepared. They read DLSU’s play’s very well and knew how to counter it. An example of which was one play where the PG would dump the ball to the guy on the high post. Three guys would then collapse on him and make him lose the ball. DLSU changed its offensive pattern in the second half and NU couldn’t counter it. DLSU also used its legendary “Tenacious-D” to keep the Bulldogs scoreless for a long time so that they could claw back.

A lot has changed in NU’s confidence and bearing on the court after it was announced that the Sy family had taken over the school. Better practice venues and equipment were provided to the team. I’m happy for them because they have long been the perennial whipping boys and cellar dwellers of the league and they too deserve the wheels of destiny to roll in their favor.

In the more longer term, I’m seeing the shift of balance of power in the league with this added influx of support for NU. Let’s face it, with a better cash flow they can get better equipment, better gear, better tacticians, better support crew and better recruits which will eventually translate to W’s.