The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons accomplished split results against Adamson University on Sunday, Oct. 27, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, with the men’s team improving their standing with an 8-1 record while the women’s squad fell to a 3-6 slate.
Coming up clutch
Holding onto a one-point lead with under four minutes left in the final quarter, the UP Men’s Basketball Team went on a 12-2 run to cap off their neck-and-neck battle against the Adamson Soaring Falcons with a 70-59 victory.
Late-game heroics from big men Mark Belmonte and Quentin Millora-Brown sealed the Diliman-based squad’s eighth win of the season and booked them a ticket to their sixth-straight Final Four appearance.
With multiple fouls and turnovers, the Fighting Maroons’ sluggish start allowed Soaring Falcon Mathew Montebon to launch three straight buckets inside the arc, kicking off a hot opener for the blue shirts, 3-10.
UP finally found their stride in the second frame, with Terrence Fortea opening the salvo with a stepback three to tie the game at 20, followed by a Gerry Abadiano charity shot and an and-one play, giving the maroon shirts their first lead of the match, 34-31.
Back-to-back plays from veteran JD Cagulangan allowed State U to extend the lead to seven, closing the half at 38-31.
UP’s lead slowly dwindled at the start of the third quarter, with the San Marcelino-based squad firing three consecutive treys to regain their lead, 44-46.
A Cagulangan jumper immediately brought the score into a deadlock, before Gani Stevens poured four straight points in a 7-2 UP run, turning the tables coming into the final salvo, 55-48.
Early on in the closeout, Adamson slowly chipped away with back-to-back scores, slimming the Maroons’ lead down to one, 58-57.
A dry spell on the Falcons’ side allowed the Maroons to extend the cushion as Belmonte converted an and-one opportunity to spark off a 12-0 run, with a Millora-Brown slam putting the game away with 53 ticks left.
Cagulangan led the team with 17 markers, three rebounds, and two steals, while Stevens notched a breakout performance of 10 points on 3/3 field goals and four boards. His 5-point run towards the end of the third period ignited State U’s momentum entering the closing quarter.
Stevens, who only played limited minutes as a Fighting Maroon, talked about his breakthrough game and how being patient and trusting the coaches have led him to become a reliable roleplayer for UP.
“[I] think there’s a lot of room for improvement. I would have liked to have this [strong] start to begin the first round, but I’m just right here, hoping to grab and continue the opportunity where in the championship and Final Four, that’s where I’m going to peak. I’m just going to keep working hard off the court and listen to my coaches and teammates,” said Stevens in the post-game interview.
When asked about the team’s takeaways against Adamson, Cagulangan shared they still need to address the squad’s complacency.
“Siguro nandun ‘yung part na, kumpyansa masyado [kami], masyadong relaxed especially galing sa break. Siguro kailangan lang namin tanggalin ‘yung ganun, kailangan ibalik kung paano kami nag-start ng season, ‘yung every start ng game kailangan diin kaagad,” said Cagulangan.
In the Falcons’ lair, the trifecta composed of Mathew Montebon, AJ Fransman, and Cedrick Manzano combined for 39 big points.
Closeout heartbreak
The UP Women’s Basketball Team (WBT) suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Adamson Lady Falcons after falling short with a 54-57 loss, rendering them winless in their second-round campaign.
Lapses on the offensive end once again plagued the Maroon shirts as the Lady Falcons generated 28 points off turnovers, doubling their first-round encounter output in the department.
An Erika Jimenez trey from a Louna Ozar pass gave State U an early 7-3 lead, but was immediately squandered by a 6-0 run by the Lady Falcons halfway through the opening minutes.
After a back-and-forth affair, Lady Maroon forward Christie Bariquit fired a buzzer-beater triple to end the first frame with UP on top, 14-13.
Bench player Rizza Lozada paved the way for UP in the second quarter with a 7-point explosion as State U traded blows with the San Marcelino-based squad, 32-30.
In the third quarter, a dry spell from Adamson gave State U a chance to build their biggest lead at six, 38-32, until the Lady Falcons found their footing at the charity stripe and ended the quarter at 42-43.
Just like in their first-round meeting, State U exchanged baskets with Adamson throughout the final minutes of the game and trimmed the deficit to one, 54-55, with 16.7 seconds left on the shot clock, off of two perfect free throws from Kaye Pesquera.
The game also ended in a similar fashion to their previous battle as UP was unable to score during the closeout, with Kim Limbago ending the game from the free throw line, 54-57.
Lozada led the maroon shirts and notched 13 markers and seven rebounds while Pesquerra and Achrissa Maw added 9 points apiece.
“Siguro, ‘yung maiaambag ko pa is ‘yung mabawasan ko ‘yung turnover ko para mas maging smooth ‘yung flow ng magiging laro namin,” Lozada said on how she intends to perform for their next match.
“The only thing that we can gather because of this very hurtful loss: I hope that our character can be revealed [and that] we are going to bounce back from this,” UP WBT head coach Paul Ramos said in a post-game interview with Tinig ng Plaridel.
On the other hand, Lady Falcon Elaine Etang scored 22 big points for her team alongside center Victoria Adeshina who provided steady support with 15 markers.
The squads will be facing their Katipunan rivals Ateneo Blue Eagles on Oct. 30, with UP WBT aiming to improve their chances of securing a Final Four spot at noon and the UP MBT seeking a twice-to-beat advantage in their tip-off at 6:30 p.m. at the same venue.
UP MBT QUARTER SCORES: 17-20, 38-31, 55-48, 70-59
UP WBT QUARTER SCORES: 14-13, 32-30, 42-43, 54-57