Down 0-1 in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Finals, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons entered their most crucial game yet with one goal in mind: extending the series to defend their crown.
State U did just that after successfully taking down the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers behind the late-game heroics of team captain Gerry Abadiano in a close 66-63 brawl in Finals Game 2 on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Abadiano led the Maroons’ offense with 17 points on 50% shooting, six of which were scored within the last few minutes to power UP’s victory.
Finishing his UAAP career with a strong outing fueled the graduating guard’s big-time plays down the stretch.
“Kung ano lang ‘yong binigay ng depensa, kinukuha ko lang. Siguro mas gutom talaga kaming manalo ngayong Game 2 kasi natalo kami no’ng Game 1,” said the team captain.
“Siyempre last year na namin, personally year ko, and ayoko naman na sa last year ko, hindi ko ibibigay ‘yong pinaka-best ko at pinaka-best namin,” he added.
The Diliman-based squad started the game dazed as DLSU immediately went on a 0-7 start, until Jacob Bayla controlled the bleeding with six points to end the opening frame, 13-20.
Facing their biggest deficit at nine, the Maroons immediately picked up the pace and went on a 20-5 offensive, capped by a Janjan Felicilda’s three to flip the score, 33-27.
The second half was a tightly contested battle with both teams refusing to back down. DLSU’s Luis Pablo evened the score early in the fourth, but Rey Remogat retaliated with back-to-back trifectas to give UP a 55-51 cushion.
State U’s lead, however, was short-lived as DLSU’s defensive pressure disrupted its momentum to force a deadlock, 59-59.
With the game tied in under three minutes of playing time, “Scary” Gerry took over in the clutch as he scored six straight points to give UP the win and tie the series at 1-1.
Francis Nnoruka dominated inside the paint with another double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Rey Remogat pitched in 12 markers and three steals.
Jacob Cortez led La Salle’s offense with 16 points, while Pablo added 12 off the bench.
Defensive pressure
After Cortez had a 21-point outing in Game 1 on an efficient 66% shooting, shutting him down was one of the main problems the Fighting Maroons had to solve in Game 2.
Their solution? Letting Bayla do his thing.
Just like last year’s finals matchup with league MVP Kevin Quiambao, he was once again tasked with handling one of the toughest assignments of the game: taking on DLSU’s top gunner in Cortez.
As a result, the sophomore forward notched six points, five rebounds, one steal and a whole lot of stops that won’t show up on the box score.
While it is nearly impossible to completely shut down Cortez’s offensive arsenal, Bayla was able to successfully limit his scoring to only 16 points and forced multiple loose balls and defensive stops, including a complete lockdown in La Salle’s final possession of the game.
When asked about his defensive assignments against the opponent’s star players, Bayla said he just plans to continue bringing the gritty pressure and high-octane energy for the team.
“Just being ready whenever my name’s called […] Today, I didn’t start [and] I came off the bench, but I just bring that energy that the team needed,” the Maroon forward told Tinig ng Plaridel in an exclusive interview.
The UP Fighting Maroons will look to defend the crown in a do-or-die match against the Green Archers for the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Championship on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
