The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons took flight to different heights in their Battle of Katipunan showdown on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
The UP Men’s Basketball Team (MBT) extended its winning streak to three, while the women’s squad suffered its second consecutive loss after falling prey to the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Streak busters
For the first two quarters, the UP MBT struggled to find its rhythm.
But not until Francis Nnoruka found his touch and so did the rest of the Fighting Maroons.
Staring at a slim 2-point lead, State U gained its usual poise in the second half to stun the previously unbeaten Ateneo Blue Eagles via an 83-69 win.
Nnoruka scored 15 of his season-high 28 points in the third frame and tallied nine rebounds and four steals to power UP to a solo fourth place with a 3-2 record.
UAAP Season 86 Mythical 5 member Rey Remogat made his presence felt with 20 markers, six boards and eight assists before being ejected in the final 12 seconds of the ballgame off a second unsportsmanlike foul.
UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde credited the team’s preparation heading into the game that saw UP put an end to Ateneo’s then-perfect 4-0 start.
“I think our preparation for this game [is that] we keep talking about how it’s just one part of it, but transferring it [training] to play the way players execute our offense and play as a team on defense,” said the decorated coach. “We just have to keep that up.”
Staring at an eight-point deficit early in the second quarter, veteran guard Harold Alarcon took the driver’s seat and fired 15 of his 17 points to put UP ahead by a close 40-38 lead entering the second half.
From hereon, Nnoruka manned the paint, igniting a 23-8 third-quarter bomb to steer the maroon side of Katipunan to a 64-49 cushion.
A trifecta from Remogat at the 3:09 minute mark in the final frame put UP to its biggest lead at 76-60, extinguishing the hopes of a one big Ateneo fightback.
Shawn Tuano finished with a team-high 17 points, while one-and-done star Kymani Ladi registered 15 markers and seven boards in the Blue Eagles’ first loss.
Slumped streak
It was an opposite outcome for the UP Women’s Basketball Team (WBT), slipping further in round one rankings after back-to-back losses.
A bounce-back win was not in the cards for the Fighting Maroons as they bowed to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 65-78, on the same day and venue.
The maroon shirts slid to a 2-2 record, extending their losing streak against their Katipunan neighbors dating back to round 2 of Season 86.
Height proved to be a disadvantage for State U as it struggled to score inside the paint, only making 19 out of 72 field goal attempts.
Reigning two-time MVP Kacey Dela Rosa chalked 20 boards, three assists and two blocks for the blue and white, recording a season-high for rebounds and locking down Camille Nolasco, who only scored two points in almost 27 minutes of action.
Opening the second half down by 14, a triple from Maw sparked a 10-point run from the Fighting Maroons, trimming down their deficit to four, 50-46.
But the Blue Eagles answered back with a scoring spree of their own, leading by as many as 21 points in the final period, 73-52.
Looking to catch up, the Fighting Maroons went on a final push with baskets from Alex Mendoza, Mariel Vingno and Rhea Solitario, but State U ran out of time and settled for a 65-78 finish.
Veterans Louna Ozar led the maroon fight, putting up 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Achrissa Maw and Solitario contributed 13 and 12 markers, respectively.
Along with Dela Rosa, Erica De Luna aided in keeping the Maroons at bay with 11 points, eight rebounds and two dimes
The MBT aims to extend its winning streak while the WBT looks to return to the win column as both battle the Far Eastern University Tamaraws on Sunday, Oct. 12, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
