The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons endured yet another pair of losses after bowing down to the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers in the UAAP Season 87 Basketball Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
With this defeat, the men’s squad is now locked in at the second spot in the elimination round with a 9-3 record, while the women’s team’s struggles continue, adding another loss to their 3-9 slate and drops to the sixth seed.
Within reach, beyond grasp
Despite having the upper hand in the first half, the UP Men’s Basketball Team (MBT) faltered when it mattered most, succumbing once again to the defending champions De La Salle University, 66-77, to suffer their third loss of the season.
This is the first time that the Fighting Maroons absorbed back-to-back losses in the elimination round under head coach Goldwin Monteverde, as well as enduring their fourth straight loss against the Green Archers dating back to their Season 86 Finals encounter.
Similar to their recent match against the NU Bulldogs, State U struggled from the three-point line, nailing only three treys out of 19.
UP assistant coach Christian Luanzon acknowledged the team’s “immature decisions” inside the court during the latter half, both in offensive and defensive ends.
“Coach Gold [Monteverde] had a lot of things to say after the game to them [MBT], but at the same time, ni-remind [niya] na we’re still in control of where we are right now. We’re still in a good position and the opportunity is there, so how we respond to this as we move forward is critical,” Luanzon lamented in the post-game press conference.
Despite their back-to-back losses, the UP MBT have secured their twice-to-beat advantage by virtue of the University of the East’s loss to the University of Santo Tomas.
State U managed to stay ahead in the tight opening quarter via a Francis Lopez slam and a Terrence Fortea reverse layup, giving them a narrow 14-12 edge.
La Salle’s Mike Phillips and Raven Gonzales put out consecutive baskets to steal the lead early in the second frame, until Maroon rookie Jacob Bayla and veteran JD Cagulangan connived for 13 points in a 15-2 UP explosion to push the Diliman-based squad’s biggest lead of the match, 37-26.
However, the Taft-based squad quickly retaliated with timely baskets, cutting the deficit to just three entering halftime.
The Fighting Maroons’ second-half surge from their previous matches was nowhere to be found in the third salvo as the Green Archers ignited a 17-8 run to let UP fall to a 51-57 hole approaching the final frame.
Amid Cagulangan and Reyland Torres’ efforts to help UP recover in the payoff period, the green-and-white shirts remained impenetrable, as Andrei Dungo hit a fast break layup that pushed the DLSU advantage to nine with 29 seconds left and added the final nail to the coffin.
With the absence of Quentin Millora-Brown, Cagulangan stepped up big for the Fighting Maroons with 22 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals, while Bayla provided steady support with 10 markers, three boards, one dime, and a block.
Kevin Quiambao and Phillips, on the other hand, led the way for the Green Archers with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Goodbye, Final Four
The return to the win column remains elusive for the UP Women’s Basketball Team (WBT) as they stay winless in the second round of the tournament after yielding to the DLSU Lady Archers via a 62-69 loss.
The Lady Maroons fell short in their attempt to replicate their first-round come-from-behind victory over the women from Taft to end their hopes of a Final Four appearance.
Veteran Achrissa Maw led the team’s charge with an impressive 25-point output, along with seven rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals.
Guard Kaye Pesquera also tallied 14 markers, four boards, and three dimes in the loss.
What started as a neck-and-neck showdown turned into DLSU’s show after Luisa San Juan ignited a 16-4 run to give the green shirts a 9-point lead at the end of the first half, 25-36.
Pesquera sank a trey to start the third quarter, but consecutive traveling violations from State U midway through the frame disrupted their momentum, allowing Luisa Dela Paz and Lee Sario to nail back-to-back threes en route to a comfortable 38-53 DLSU cushion.
The Diliman-based squad rallied in the final quarter, with Maw lashing out 12 of her 25 markers in the period, including a pair of free throws to trim the gap down to seven with 2:10 left on the clock.
However, a tough offensive drought spelled doom for the Fighting Maroons as they went scoreless in the last two minutes of play, with a Sario layup extending DLSU’s lead to 9 with 44 ticks left.
Maw hit another pair of charity shots in the dying seconds, but it proved too little, too late.
San Juan led the Lady Archers’ revenge with 18 points, four assists, one rebound, and one block. Lee Sario and Kyla Sunga also played pivotal roles, contributing 15 and 14 markers, respectively.
The UP WBT and UP MBT will attempt to break their losing streaks as they face the FEU Tamaraws on Nov. 16. Tip-off will start at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
UP MBT QUARTER SCORES: 14-12, 43-40, 51-57, 66-77
UP WBT QUARTER SCORES: 16-17, 25-36, 38-53, 62-69
