LA SALLE'S first loss in the 2025 Playtime Cares Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup came at the worst time, as it fell to modern-day rival University of the Philippines Sunday in the knockout semifinals.
Rey Remogat turned his cold-shooting night into a cool comeback for the Fighting Maroons, who are now one win away from the ECJ Perpetual Trophy - awarded to the team that will win three championships in a row.
READ: Remogat turns cold shooting night into cool comeback for UP
State U's five-point win, however, could have turned out different if only the Green Archers did better from one specific area: the free throw line.
La Salle went 23-of-43 from freebies, including eight misses in the last eight minutes.
"Ayun. Ayun ang kwento ng laro," a team official who requested anonymity told SPIN.ph after being learning about their struggles from the charity stripe.
Mike Phillips accounted for seven misses, as Jacob Cortez and Kean Baclaan also muffed on three attempts apiece.
La Salle's biggest point of improvement
Of course, UP failed to convert 10 free throws of its own by going 22-of-32, but many of the Green Archers' misses came when it mattered most.
And the struggles from the line have actually held true for the green-and-white through the preseason tournament, where they averaged just 65-percent heading into the semis showdown.
Without a doubt, that's exactly where head coach Topex Robinson and staff will turn their attention to moving forward.
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