After a fierce showdown against the De La Salle Green Archers, the UP Fighting Maroons earned its fifth straight victory of UAAP Season 84 with a 61-59 last-gasp win at the Mall of Asia Arena on April 7.
With a back-and-forth affair brewing in the opening frame, the maroon shirts launched a late 9-2 run to tie the game at 17-all. While State U struggled with shooting, their offensive rebounding kept them afloat. By halftime, the Fighting Maroons were at a three-point deficit against the Green Archers.
Just like their April 5 game against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, UP was at the brink of defeat with roughly four seconds remaining in the match. But DLSU’s Michael Phillips blanked on a potential game-winning attempt and sealed the game for the Fighting Maroons.
State U has now won its last five men’s basketball games against the Green Archers since Season 81. Moreover, UP’s latest victory marks their longest UAAP win streak since 2004.
Zav Lucero’s unparalleled athleticism and aggression took center stage in a career-high performance for the new Fighting Maroon. UP’s breakout star fired 21 points, 14 rebounds and two steals in a ruthless display of dominance on both ends of the floor.
READ: Top Fil-Am recruit Zav Lucero a UPMBT ‘game-changer’
Former Green Archer Joel Cagulangan chipped in five points and seven assists in his first game in a maroon shirt against DLSU.
Apart from Lucero and Cagulangan’s heroics, UP MBT head coach Goldwin Monteverde praised big man Carl Tamayo’s relentless defensive stance on DLSU’s senior standout Justine Baltazar, which greatly helped their late charge for the victory.
“Good thing, especially in the fourth quarter, na talagang nag step up ang defense namin. I thought Carl [Tamayo] played really good defense against [Justine] Baltazar in the fourth,” Monteverde said.
The Fighting Maroons will attempt to close the opening round with an extended win streak as they take on the surging Far Eastern University Tamaraws on April 9.
QUARTER SCORES: 17-17, 32-35, 43-48, 61-59
