Two days ago at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Varsity Training Center, the UP Men’s Basketball Team (MBT) endured an off-putting training session.
“We didn’t have the best practice last night,” Fighting Maroons assistant coach Christian Luanzon admitted in a post-game press conference.
Still reeling from a tough loss against De La Salle University, the team carried that frustration into its next matchup against top-seeded National University (NU).
But just when it mattered most, UP rose to the occasion to capture a bounce-back win against the NU Bulldogs via a 78-74 escape act Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Veteran guard Harold Alarcon, who led the State U uprising with a season-high 24 points, said the defending champions expected themselves to step up in the dogfight following a “so-so practice” just 24 hours before.
“‘Yong practice kagabi, medyo hindi nga okay. Napag-usapan nga namin na kailangan namin maging 101%,” said the former NU Bullpup.
This pre-game promise eventually turned into a reality as the Diliman-based squad waxed hot right from the get-go, establishing a 22-6 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs, however, showed the raucous UP Community why they are the top-seed after turning an 18-point Maroon lead to just 57-55 early in the payoff period via a Jake Figueroa hookshot.
But the “UP Fight” spirit came to life just in time as Alarcon and Gani Stevens connived for an 8-2 run to weather the late NU storm and secure the rebound victory for State U.
The win pushed the Maroon cagers to solo third in the standings with a 5-3 slate.
Rey Remogat and Reyland Torres also provided steady help with 11 and 10 markers, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jake Figueroa led the Sampaloc-based crew with 18 points. NU slipped to a 6-2 record with the loss.
UP seeks to ride the momentum in its clash against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws on Sunday, Oct. 26, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
