EVERY point counts - that can't even be argued.
And for a playoff race as ultracompetitive as the one in UAAP Season 88, sometimes the baskets which accounts the least could make the biggest of differences.
That’s why for teams still chasing their spots in the postseason, the most important statline in the homestretch may very well be free throws.
Forty-two games in, University of Santo Tomas and La Salle have been beneficiaries of these trips to the line, as they are the top two teams in terms of free throws attempted.
READ: Free throws haven't been friendly to UST in UAAP Season 88
The Growling Tigers have already shot 290 tries from the 15-foot stripe, while the Green Archers are not far behind with 278 in the 10 games they have played.
A big reason certainly are the whistles they’re getting, with the Espana dribblers drawing 24.4 fouls on average and their Taft counterparts at 24.1.
It can also be assumed that this is due to the two teams’ activity down low, as they rank first and second in points in the paint, with UST having 38.4 points per game inside largely thanks to Collins Akowe, while La Salle accumulates 36.4 points in that area majorly because of Mike Phillips.
READ: La Salle still paying price for free throw failures
Akowe, Phillips, and University of the East's Precious Momowei are the only three players who have been given over 60 freebies through the tournament, as they all also rank Top 3 in rebounding - further highlighting their activity in and around the basket itself.
Fortunately for the rest of the field, the two teams have been unable to take full advantage of those, as they rank at the bottom of the league in free throw percentage, with the Growling Tigers dead last at 58.62-percent followed by the Green Archers with 61.15-percent.
The only ones who shoot below the league average of 63.84-percent aside from the aforementioned two are the cellar-dwelling Red Warriors who have only converted 62.75-percent of their free throws.
Nothing free in these throws
Curiously, the teams with the least free throw attempts maximized those trips the most.
Far Eastern U has cashed in on those tries, going a league-best 67.89-percent mark from the 19 free throw shots it has been given per game.
Adamson, which has been awarded the least with 17.73 free throws on average, has made 66.67-percent of its charities, good for second-best.
Also worth noting is that these two are also at the bottom when it comes to getting the breaks, as the Tamaraws have only gotten 18 fouls on average from their opponents and the Soaring Falcons getting 18.18.
Basically, about 11 free throw attempts per game is a glaring disparity separating the league’s No. 1 in UST (29.0 attempts) and the bottom team in Adamson (17.73).
Here’s a breakdown of how teams have shot from the free throw line so far this season:
- FEU (10 games) – 129/190 (67.89%)
- Adamson (11 games) – 130/195 (66.67%)
- UP (11 games) – 148/223 (66.37%)
- NU (11 games) – 138/209 (66.03%)
- Ateneo (10 games) – 141/218 (64.68%)
- UE (11 games) – 155/247 (62.75%)
- La Salle (10 games) – 170/278 (61.15%)
- UST (10 games) – 170/290 (58.62%)
In this arms race to the finish, these simple factors – and solitary point – may just decide who’s in and who’s out.
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