The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons faced another split result against the National University (NU) Bulldogs on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion (QPav).
This time, however, it was the men’s team who took the win, while the women’s team sustained its first loss in UAAP Season 88.
The men’s team’s win-loss record improved to 2-2, while the women’s dropped to 2-1.
Caging the Bulldogs
The UP Men’s Basketball Team (MBT) proved to still be among the top contenders this season after dealing the NU Bulldogs their first heartbreak this round, 66-59.
The win broke the Fighting Maroons’ winless “curse” at QPav, snapping a three-game losing streak in the venue dating back to their round two upset loss also against the Bulldogs in Season 87.
State U struggled in the opening frame, falling behind by 10 points before Terrence Fortea and Mark Belmonte connived for nine points off the bench to stop the bleeding, 13-19.
Staring at a six-point disadvantage after a deadlock in the second salvo, UP had yet to find its rhythm in the third frame as NU’s Steve Nash Enriquez erupted for seven straight unanswered points to give the Bulldogs their largest lead of the game, 34-47.
Despite trailing by as much as 13 points, UP remained persistent in tightening its defense to chain the Bulldogs down, holding them scoreless for over eight minutes in the second half.
State U capitalized on NU’s offensive lapses, capping a 14-2 run, courtesy of back-to-back triples from Miguel Yñiguez to cut the lead to one.
From there on, UP took control and never looked back with veteran guard Harold Alarcon stepping up in the clutch, scoring all eight of his points to complete the comeback against NU.
Assistant coach Christian Luanzon credited the team’s cohesion, especially during the latter half of the game when the team adjusted on their defensive end, limiting the Jhocson-based squad to just 19 second-half points.
“What’s important is that everybody’s involved, whether it’s in a form of communication, you know, and ‘yong coverages namin, everybody’s on the same page. And I thought we did a better job in the second half on being on the same page,” Luanzon said.
The Maroons’ twin towers continue to be steady pillars for the team as they anchored the offense all game long, with Francis Nnoruka recording 14 points and six rebounds while Gani Stevens notched 10 markers and five boards.
On the flip side, Enriquez and Gelo Santiago led the Bulldogs’ scoring efforts with 16 and 10 points, respectively.
Streak snapped
The UP Women’s Basketball Team (WBT) broke its winning streak with a tough loss against defending champions NU Lady Bulldogs, 58-95, in a later game on the same day and venue.
The Diliman-based squad started the tournament on a positive note by making its place in the win column with consecutive victories against Adamson University and the University of the East.
But State U struggled to find its footing in the first half of its match-up against NU while the Lady Bulldogs waxed hot with an 18-point run courtesy of a trifecta from Kristine Cayabyab and Marylene Solis in the opening quarter. This made it more difficult for the Diliman-based squad to play catch-up early in the game, 10-28.
Shane Cunanan then shot a three-pointer in the second quarter, marking a possible turnaround in favor of the maroon shirts at 32-47.
Down by as many as 28 points, Louna Ozar, Camille Nolasco and Cunanan made a valiant effort to trim down the lead to 34-52 to end the first half.
The Lady Bulldogs, however, stayed poised with a dominating 19-point performance in the third frame, holding the WBT to only five markers and creating a significant gap at 39-71.
The final buzzer rang without the Fighting Maroons hitting the 60-point mark, failing to gain momentum in the latter half of the match.
State U’s futile attempt at a comeback was led by Marielle Vingno with 13 points, two rebounds and two assists. Cunanan narrowly missed a double-double with 10 markers and eight boards.
Ozar chipped in nine points, closely followed by Achrissa Maw and Shanina Tapawan putting in eight markers each.
Cayabyab, meanwhile, bared the Lady Bulldogs’ teeth after stuffing the stat sheets with 26 markers, three rebounds, two assists, five steals and a block.
Both placing fourth in the standings, the UP MBT will look to extend its winning streak, while the WBT will strive to bounce back as it battles its undefeated Katipunan rival Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
