PASIG CITY, Philippines — De La Salle University pulled off a double victory against University of the East on Sunday, October 4, as both its women’s and men’s squads claimed decisive wins in the UAAP Season 89 basketball tournament at the PhilSports Arena.
The Lady Archers recovered from an earlier opening-game loss to Far Eastern University by turning back the Lady Warriors, 70-55, to lift their record to 1-1. The loss kept UE winless at 0-2 and marked its 26th consecutive defeat extending back to Season 87.
Kyla Go topped DLSU’s scoring attack with 18 points and six steals, while 6-foot-3 Nigerian center Favour Ojo chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds. La Salle bolted out to an early 11-2 cushion, responded after UE briefly grabbed a 29-28 edge in the second period, and ended the opening half on an 11-1 burst to regain full command.
The Lady Archers stretched their advantage in the second half, building a 55-38 lead heading into the final period before limiting UE to 15 points in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a good character win for us that we came back from a loss, especially our first game,” said DLSU head coach Cholo Villanueva.
In the men’s matchup, the Green Archers delivered an explosive performance to blow out the Red Warriors, 112-87, ending a two-game skid to move to 2-2.
La Salle set the tempo right away with a 31-19 opening frame and built a comfortable 61-42 cushion by halftime. The 112-point surge marked the team’s highest scoring output since recording the same total against UST in Season 84.
Mason Amos led six Green Archers in double digits, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Jacob Cortez contributed 15 points, while Mikey Cortez added 11 points on a flawless 3-of-3 performance from beyond the arc.
The victory elevated the defending champions into a three-way tie for fifth place alongside NU and UST. UE dropped to 0-5 on the season, prolonging its overall losing streak to 25 games. Tope Lagat paced the Red Warriors with a game-high 30 points, while Mo Tañedo posted 14 points and nine assists.
Both La Salle squads are set to face rival Ateneo de Manila University on Wednesday, October 7, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, with the women’s match scheduled for 12 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 6 p.m.
UE’s men’s and women’s programs will return to action against Adamson University on October 11.