The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons now hold identical 8-2 records in the UAAP Season 86 basketball tournaments as the women’s squad bagged a Battle of Katipunan redemption win, while the men’s team bowed down to the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers on Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
State U remains in a close fight with league-leading contenders National University (NU) as the Fighting Maroons share the top spot of the standings in the men’s division and trail behind the Lady Bulldogs’ 9-1 slate for the women’s.
A taste of their own medicine
The UP Men’s Basketball Team (UP MBT) suffered their second loss of the season after falling prey to the redemption-seeking DLSU Green Archers, 79-88.
State U missed the contributions of star players Malick Diouf and JD Cagulangan who had to sit out the match due to injuries.
The towering center and Season 85 MVP, who averages 12.89 points and 14.89 rebounds per game, reportedly hurt his wrist in the Battle of Katipunan match-up last Oct. 29.
“Malick injured his wrist n’ong game namin against Ateneo, I think, after a fall. But hopefully by Wednesday makabalik na siya,” UP MBT head coach Goldwin Monteverde said during the post-game interview.
Meanwhile, key point guard Cagulangan is still nursing his hamstring injury incurred from the Adamson clash last Oct. 25. This is his second time missing a game.
In a classic neck-and-neck showdown, the Fighting Maroons managed to grab a slim 14-12 lead midway through the first frame, but the Green Archers rallied back with 10 unanswered points to let State U stare at a 14-22 deficit.
The maroon shirts turned the tables in the second quarter after sparking a 9-0 run of their own led by Harold Alarcon to tie the game at 27-all.
However, DLSU answered back with a 24-point explosion in the last 5 minutes to cap off the first half with a 12-point advantage.
The Fighting Maroons outscored the Archers during the third salvo, capitalizing on fast breaks and turnovers to cut the lead down to 7. Despite these gutsy efforts, the DLSU’s comfortable cushion and consistent offensive output kept the Maroons from stealing the lead, 59-66.
The final frame displayed an intense nip-and-tuck showdown until CJ Cansino scored 10 points to help snatch the lead at 75-74 with 4 minutes left in the game.
Unfortunately, this was not enough for the Fighting Maroons as MVP frontrunner Kevin Quiambao scored 11 of the Archers’ last 14 points to finally avenge their first-round loss against UP.
Team captain Cansino led UP’s surge with 20 points and five rebounds, while Janjan Felicilda provided steady support with 13 markers and nine boards.
For Coach Goldwin Monteverde, the absence of key players was not a valid reason for their loss.
“Of course, Malick and JD naman would always be a key part sa team namin. But for me, we won’t take this as a reason as a team for whatever happened today. We’re [going to] take responsibility because we had chances a while ago. “
Redemption at its finest
Meanwhile, the UP Women’s Basketball Team (UP WBT) relentlessly avenged their sole round one loss against the Ateneo Blue Eagles with a 71-48 domination in the second iteration of the Battle of Katipunan.
After trailing 8-12 in the last 3 minutes of the first frame, the Maroons took advantage of a Blue Eagles shooting meltdown to enter the second quarter with a 7-point lead.
The blue shirts, however, immediately bounced back with an 11-4 surge to cut the deficit to just a single point, before the Maroons rallied back with a 10-1 run, 34-24, to keep Ateneo at bay.
State U maintained their composure in the third quarter as dynamic duo Louna Ozar and Favour Onoh connived for a 26-point production while holding their Katipunan rivals to just 13 markers.
From here on, State U never looked back as their lead ballooned by as much as 23 points, achieving their second biggest blowout win after their season-opener match against the Adamson University Lady Falcons.
Rookie standout Ozar spearheaded the Lady Maroons with 17 points, four steals and two rebounds.
Onoh also stood out with a double-double performance of 13 markers and 12 boards to add to Kaye Pesquera’s 11 points built from 3-of-3 treys.
Lady Maroon Louna Ozar escaping Blue Eagle Juniz Calago’s defense in UP’s redemption match against Ateneo. Photo by UAAP Media Team.
“We committed ourselves in our game plan and the only thing that we talked about is they’re gonna give all their best every minute, that they will play and it really showed,” UP WBT head coach Paul Ramos said.
Both State U squads will seek to boost their 8-2 record on Wednesday, Nov. 8, as the UP MBT gears up to face the UE Red Warriors at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, while the UP WBT takes on the FEU Lady Tamaraws at the Mall of Asia Arena.
UP MBT QUARTER SCORES: 14-22, 39-51, 59-66, 79-88
UP WBT QUARTER SCORES: 19-12, 34-24, 60-39, 71-48
