The DLSU Green Archers came into November on a roll.

After a shaky start, La Salle bounced back with four straight wins over the second half of October that put them back on track in the title hunt. They entered their second-round matchup with the league-leading NU Bulldogs on November 2 with a chance to force a tie at the top of the standings.

Instead of extending their winning streak, La Salle unraveled and slid into a tailspin that nearly derailed its season.

The Green Archers came out lethargic against NU and eventually lost by eight, 75–67. The defeat punctured their budding confidence and became the first of what would become a three-game losing streak.

For most UAAP programs, three straight losses are tough but not catastrophic. For a school with La Salle’s history and tough fanbase, though, any loss—let alone three in a row—triggers a chaotic fallout that is a cocktail of brashness, irrationality, and arrogance.

What made the loss to the Bulldogs sting even more was that second-year swingman Vhoris Marasigan was ejected on a dubious Flagrant Foul 2 call against Omar John.

Marasigan entered the game averaging just 5.3 points, yet his impact to DLSU at that point went far beyond his scoring average. He is the lone wing on La Salle’s roster who can consistently create off the dribble and he brings a physically imposing presence on defense that no perimeter player in the league can match. The ejection warranted a one-game suspension as stated by the league’s rule book and this left Marasigan on the sidelines for their next game, a loss to the FEU Tamaraws.

When Marasigan returned for La Salle’s game against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, he looked like a different player. He asserted himself on offense, finishing with a team-high 15 points—including seven in the third quarter. DLSU came up short against Adamson, but not for Marasigan’s lack of trying.

The Green Archers then entered their second round match-up against their recent rivals, the defending champion UP Fighting Maroons, desperately needing a win to keep their Final Four hopes alive. The Fighting Maroons came into the match as the league’s best team, having won six consecutive games since their first round loss to La Salle.

Unfazed by the task at hand, Marasigan once again stepped up for the Green Archers. He set a season-high for the second consecutive contest, scoring 17 points to help La Salle come away with a much-needed 87-82 win. Marasigan provided Mike Philips and Jacob Cortez with the potent third scoring option that this team has sorely lacked and his breakout run could not have come at a better time.

Marasigan scored nine points in the fourth quarter alone as he and Earl Abadam helped DLSU close out the victory down the stretch.

In the two games since his one-game absence, Marasigan has looked like a completely different player and these Green Archers are all the better for it. Beyond his statistical contributions, what’s even more valuable are his physicality, fearlessness, and swagger. Marasigan has reawakened the angas attitude that every successful iteration of this program has built its foundation on for decades.

It’s clear Marasigan has channeled the same passion that led to his ill-fated NU incident into his recent performances. This is the kind of maturity that separates good players from the potentially great.

Nonetheless, the road ahead remains tough—La Salle must beat the ADMU Blue Eagles in the elimination-round finale just to avoid a playoff for the fourth seed. If they do reach the Final Four, they are going to face top-seeded NU, who beat DLSU in both regular season meetings, with a twice-to-beat advantage.

Reclaiming the UAAP championship feels like a long shot right now, but if Marasigan’s emergence continues, these Green Archers will be hard to count out. They’re a dark horse in the truest sense—playing through injuries to key pieces yet still coming up with a product that is greater than the sum of its parts.

All of DLSU’s key rotation pieces have had their moments, but to salvage this campaign, Marasigan must keep this run going and emerge as that third star. Redemption has been La Salle’s theme since last year’s finals loss to UP—and Marasigan, willingly or not, has become the poster boy of their hunt for vindication.