The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons have once again faced contrasting fates in their basketball bouts against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws on Sunday, Oct. 12, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The men’s team continued its hot streak, extending its run to four straight victories, while the women’s team stumbled to its third consecutive loss.
Down to the last dribble
The UP Men’s Basketball Team (MBT) edged the FEU Tamaraws, 69-66, in a down-to-the-wire contest that tested its poise and composure on both ends of the floor.
After trailing behind early, the Fighting Maroons flipped the momentum with back-to-back baskets from Gani Stevens and a layup by Harold Alarcon, putting UP ahead for the first time, 8-7.
Both squads traded buckets in a see-saw opening frame, with State U clinging to a narrow 16-14 lead at the buzzer.
FEU responded with a 5-0 run to start the second period, but Maroon point guard Rey Remogat countered with back-to-back triples in a span of 30 seconds to reclaim the lead, 22-19.
Determined to claw their way back up, the Tamaraws showed signs of life late in the quarter, but the Maroons’ collective effort held firm, allowing them to close the half on top, 38-36.
The Morayta-based squad briefly snatched the lead to open the second half, but UP quickly countered with a composed 4-0 run to restore control.
Orchestrating the offense, Reyland Torres found Miguel Yñiguez for an inside basket before completing an and-one of his own, giving UP its biggest cushion at 49-43.
Although FEU continued to threaten, clutch baskets from Mark Belmonte and Jacob Bayla kept the Maroons ahead, 55-52, as they entered the final period.
In the payoff quarter, UP came out strong with a Bayla drive and a deep triple from Terrence Fortea, stretching the lead, 60-54.
As the game hung in the balance, Stevens muscled in a crucial putback shortly after the last two-minute mark, 69-66.
UP’s defensive discipline sealed the deal in the remaining seconds, forcing a late turnover to secure the win.
Outgoing senior Alarcon spearheaded the maroon shirts’ balanced offense with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Stevens supported the scoring effort with a near double-double performance of 14 markers and nine boards, while Torres chipped in 12.
Staying true to his leadership style, Alarcon said he leads more by action than words.
“Ako kasi, hindi masyadong vocal as a player, pinapakita ko lang siya through my actions. Doon ko lang siya pinapakita sa ensayo, sa game. Doon, makikita nila kung ano ako as a leader,” he said.
Despite their winning streak, assistant coach Christian Luanzon said the Maroons are still working toward consistency.
“Malayo pa, but we’re building towards it. Coach Gold [Monteverde] would always emphasize that what’s important for us is every game, every practice, we’re improving… So we just got to continue to build towards this, especially approaching the end of the first round.,” Luanzon said. “We have one more game, so it’s important for us to continue this momentum.”
On the other side of the court, the trio of Jorick Bautista, Mo Konateh and Janrey Pasaol scored a combined 45 points for the Tamaraws in the close defeat.
No answers found
While the men’s team sustained its winning streak, the women’s team continues to search for a way back into the win column and return to its early-season form.
The UP Women’s Basketball Team (WBT) suffered its third consecutive loss after falling to the FEU Lady Tamaraws, 66-94, in a later game at the same venue.
The Lady Tamaraws opened with a 5-0 run, and though the Fighting Maroons briefly cut the deficit to one, FEU regained control, ending the first quarter ahead, 21-29.
UP struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the second quarter, managing to score only 10 points compared to FEU’s 20, which stretched the lead further to 31-49 at halftime.
Camille Nolasco ignited the Maroons’ third-quarter effort with a much-needed triple, followed by inside conversions from Louna Ozar, Alex Mendoza and Marielle Vingno momentarily stabilizing the offense.
Although UP mounted a brief rally, the Morayta-based squad continued to dominate both ends of the floor, preventing the Diliman-based squad from trimming the deficit to single digits.
A late push from State U, powered by a three-pointer from BB Barba and a long jumper from Nolasco, closed the third frame with FEU’s comfortable 24-point lead, 50-74.
In the final 10 minutes, Achrissa Maw dished a smooth assist to Vingno to spark UP’s offense, but FEU’s lead proved insurmountable, allowing the Lady Tamaraws to maintain control and close out the game convincingly, 66-94.
Despite the uphill battle, sophomore guard Nolasco stood tall for UP, tallying 16 points, three rebounds and an assist in a determined showing that lasted until the final buzzer.
Achrissa Maw closely followed, delivering 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal. Ozar added nine points, while Vingno and Shanina Tapawan chipped in eight points each.
On the other side, rookie Shemaiah Abatayo had a breakout game, powering the Lady Tamaraws’ attack with 25 points, three rebounds, and a steal.
Both UP squads return to action on Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, as the men’s team seeks to close the first round strong against last season’s finals foes, the DLSU Green Archers, while the women’s team aims to snap its skid as it faces the Lady Archers.
