With last season’s tragic finals reverse sweep and a winless record during this season’s eliminations phase against De La Salle University (DLSU), the University of the Philippines (UP) Men’s Basketball Team found themselves in an underdog situation.
But leave it to Quentin Millora-Brown (QMB) and the Maroons to show you what happens when you mess with a cornered animal.
Fueled by the fiery frontcourt duo of QMB and Francis Lopez in the second half, the UP Fighting Maroons outbrawled DLSU Green Archers, 73-65, to draw first blood in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Finals on Dec. 8 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Millora-Brown’s stellar finals debut saw him posting a career-high 17 points, nine rebounds, and three assists while Lopez and JD Cagulangan notched 13 markers apiece as State U finally landed a shot against the pesky Green Archers this season.
“For this game, Q [Quentin Millora-Brown] really stepped up to the occasion,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde on the one-and-done center’s impressive showing.
“When the coaches called a couple of plays for me after I got hot, just being ready to step up to the bat,” said QMB in a post-game interview with Tinig ng Plaridel. “Something I’ve always said, it could be anyone’s night. Everyone’s ready, and tonight’s my night,” he added.
With Kevin Quiambao’s monstrous 18-point first-half outburst, the Fighting Maroons found themselves on the back foot at the half, 37-41.
However, the Maroon frontcourt took matters into their own hands as Lopez and Millora-Brown tallied 9 and 5 points respectively, scoring 14 of UP’s 17 third-quarter points to enter the final frame with a 4-point cushion of their own, 54-50.
A 9-2 run spearheaded by QMB’s two massive and-one plays blew the Maroons’ lead up to 11 points within the first half of the deciding quarter, 63-52.
Mike Phillips tried to rally the Archers behind his heroic fourth-quarter effort, leading DLSU’s 11-4 run, 67-63, but a Gerry Abadiano dagger three with 43 seconds left sealed the deal for State U.
King Archer Quiambao only managed to score a free-throw point in the entirety of the second half after going 0/6 on the field as rookie Maroon Jacob Bayla took on the pivotal role of locking down the reigning MVP.
Quiambao and Phillips posted 19 and 17 points, respectively in the Archers’ finals game 1 déjà vu loss.
Finding themselves in the same position as last season’s finals, the Fighting Maroons seek to finish what they could not this time around as they look to win it all in Game 2 on Dec. 11 at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the tip-off at 5:30 p.m.
