MANILA, Philippines - If Jude Turcuato was still anchoring for the UAAP, we would have heard him say the word "Kaboom!" emphatically and repeatedly because of JV Casio's heroics.

The 5' 9" Casio showed everyone why he is potentially be the UAAP's best cager -pound-for-pound - "kaboomed" his way to a game-high 29 points to lead "his" defending champion Green Archers past the Far Eastern Tamaraws, 73-62, Saturday in the 71^st UAAP men's basketball season at the Philsports Arena.

Yes, you read it right. La Salle is no less than JV Casio's team.

Going a perfect 3-of-3 from rainbow territory, Casio showed remnants of ex-Green Archer cager Ren Ren Ritualo as he was superb from start to finish. The former Red Cub steered La Salle to a rousing start with 10 of the team's 18 points, and similarly finished the game with aplomb with 10 of his game-high 29 points coming in the last seven minutes of play.

Casio's stellar play averted the Archers from losing their first two assignments, which if it happened, would have been La Salle's first 0-2 card in its UAAP history.

Redeeming himself from the Archers' last loss against the Blue Eagles where he couldn't convert down the stretch, Casio this time regained his old, usual deadly form, his most timely triple hit coming at the 5:36 mark to give the Archers the much-needed headway, 60-54, after a 54-all deadlock. Sophomore Bader Malabes accounted for a high-arching triple as well during that stretch.

The Archers thus annexed their first win of the tournament and tote a 1-1 card along with UP, FEU and UST, which routed the Maroons during the first game, 94-75, and will be the Archers' next opponent. Ateneo and UE are both at 2-0.

"Today's game was really a JV Casio show. I think FEU just froze in one of his plays; during the last lay-up he made. They all thought he was going to go for a triple, when all of a sudden, he dribbled the ball and we saw a burst of speed from him," commended Green Archers coach Franz Pumaren of Casio's very sly fake off his defenders.

After the Tamaraws answered with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to one, 59-60, the Archers staged a 7-0 blast highlighted by an in-your-face rejection of Rico Maierhoffer off a driving Knuttel as they pulled away going to the final two-minute mark. FEU couldn't gain headway further as it was slapped with two technical fouls, giving two free throws plus ball possession to La Salle.

"The Kite" Rico Maierhofer played ample support with 11 points, and was a monster off the boards with his 17 caroms.

Mac Baracael led the Tams with 14 points, including a drive which helped FEU move ahead by eight, 37-29, their biggest lead for the game at eight, in the third quarter.

The Tams went into the halftime break enjoying a 32-29 lead as the Green Archers had a dearth of baskets early in the second.

The Morayta-based squad still had control of the game late in the third until the Archers unloaded an onslaught of three-pointers. Simon Atkins, Casio, Peejay Barua and even Maierhofer each knocked in a triple during that one shining stretch that enabled the boys from Taft to wrest away the upper hand, 50-47, headed into the final canto.

- Cesar Concio

THE SCORES:

DLSU 73 - Casio 29, Maierhofer 11, Barua 9, Malabes 7, Atkins 5, Mangahas 4, Walsham 4, Webb 2, Villanueva 2, Bagatsing 0, Ferdinand 0, Revilla 0

FEU 62 - Baracael 14, Barocca 9, Cawaling 9, Cervantes 7, Ramos 7, Fernandez 7, Adolfo 3, Kave 2, Alisbo 2, Knuttel 2, Sanga 0

Quarter scores: 18-17; 29-32; 50-47; 73-62