De La Salle University will not surrender their hard-earned championship from last season just yet.

The Green Archers averted an early season exit, pulling off a convincing 94-73 win over Far Eastern University on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena to forge a do-or-die duel for a spot in the title round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 77 men’s basketball tournament.

From the get-go, the Green Archers banked on a hot 19-9 start in the first 7:32 of the game to set the trend for the rest of the contest.

During the first period alone, De La Salle strung together four treys – including three from Julian Sargent – to counter FEU’s tactic of crowding the shaded lane to build a commanding 10 point advantage, 24-14, off 18 points from outside the paint at the end of the quarter.

Despite trimming their deficit to just four before the break, the Tamaraws yielded a 19-point lead to the Green Archers, 63-45 late in the third period.

Jeron Teng avenged last week’s loss and his poor performance against FEU, leading the Green Archers with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Mac Belo was the only bright light from the Tamaraws’ side, producing 32 points, but none of his teammates followed his lead as no one else scored in double digits.

De La Salle’s first win over FEU in four games forces a do-or-die game for a ticket in the finals on Wednesday, October 1, at 6:00 pm, following the Ateneo de Manila University and National University showdown at 2:00 pm.