The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons are now one win away from claiming their second straight title this year after taking down the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 72-66, in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball finals yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Graduating Fil-Am forward Zavier Lucero had a double-double outing with 14 points and 11 rebounds to help the maroons gain the upper hand in the best-of-three championship series.
“This is it for this season, so there’s nothing left to do but to leave it on the floor. I’m glad that all of us were able to come together and give it our best,” Lucero said.
Harold Alarcon also played a pivotal role in the victory, powering a crucial 10-2 blitz in the final frame with back-to-back triples.
“Hindi naman first option ko ‘yung pag-score. Nagkataon lang na open ako so tinake ko lang, ‘yun lang ‘yung goal ni Coach Gold, pag open ka, tira mo,” said Alarcon, who racked up 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.
It was a seesaw battle at the start with both teams trading buckets before JD Cagulangan and James Spencer connived to help UP take a nine-point lead by the end of the quarter, 28-19.
State U’s lead ballooned to 10 at one point in the second frame, but Ateneo saw an opportunity to trim the lead to five, courtesy of Chris Koon and Dave Ildefonso.
However, Lucero converted a buzzer-beater dime from underneath the rim to close out the half at 42-35.
UP received little response from Ateneo early in the second half, before Ateneo’s Ange Kouame drained a dagger from beyond the arc to start the fourth and cut the lead to two, 58-56.
But the maroons stymied the Blue Eagles’ comeback charge with an emphatic Lucero block on Koon and a clutch Alarcon trey to widen the lead once more, 61-56, at the 6:39 mark.
Ateneo’s last-minute efforts from Ildefonso and BJ Andrade ultimately went down the drain as Cagulangan sank two free throws to seal Game 1 for UP.
Cagulangan joined Lucero and Alarcon in scoring double figures, adding 12 points with eight rebounds and five assists.
Reigning tournament MVP Kouame led the Blue Eagles with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Andrade and Ildefonso chipped in 10 points apiece.
UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde lauded the team for making the necessary in-game adjustments, especially during crunch time.
“May mga times din naman na nagkakaroon ng lapses but ang maganda doon, ever since before, ‘yung team ‘di naman sila tumitigil and they would always communicate their lapses and na-sustain siya hanggang matapos ‘yung game,” Monteverde said.
State U will go for the jugular as they take on Ateneo once more in Game 2 on Dec. 14 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
UP MBT QUARTER SCORES: 28-19, 42-35, 54-50, 72-66.
