The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons have once again logged another split result in Season 88 after their Round 2 basketball bouts against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
While the defending champions have reignited their flame following their rough 0-2 start, their female counterparts are searching for answers after their hot 2-0 opening cooled off fast.
Heat Wave
For the Fighting Maroons, revenge is best served hot.
The UP Men’s Basketball Team narrowly escaped the claws of the UST Growling Tigers after a thrilling 89-88 rematch.
State U bucked off to a slow start, stumbling into the second quarter with UST’s 15-point cushion. Miguel Yñiguez and Remogat shot trifectas that gained momentum for the Diliman-based squad, followed by Harold Alarcon trimming the gap to two, 45-47, heading into the halftime break.
The veteran guard put on a brave front on the court that led to the maroon jerseys’ hard-earned victory. But the humble game changer does not solely take credit for the win, giving kudos to coach Goldwin Monteverde’s major role in the game.
“Kinausap lang din kami nang maayos ni Coach Gold noong [nasa] dugout. And, ‘yon nga, parang madami kaming off [plays] noong first half. Kaya sabi nga ni Coach Gold, mag-adjust kami papasok sa second half,” Alarcon said in a post-game interview.
The maroon shirts took this advice to heart.
The Fighting Maroons put up a defensive front in the third frame, giving way to Gani Stevens’ jumper that set the tone of the latter half.
Remogat, Bayla, Alarcon, Yñiguez, Miguel Palanca and Gerry Abadiano struck while the iron was hot, joining efforts in ending the third frame with a six-point cushion, 68-62.
The heartstopping final quarter was welcomed by a five-point run by the yellow shirts, but Alarcon quickly responded with a jumper that once again turned the tide for the Fighting Maroons, 72-68.
The Growling Tigers were hot on their trail with Collins Akowe and Nic Cabañero tying the game, 77-77, but Reyland Torres and Mark Belmonte held the fort for the Fighting Maroons, shooting buckets to keep the game in favor of the Diliman-based squad, 81-80.
Alarcon proved his prowess with a trifecta in the last minute of the match. However, a pair of freebies from UST’s Amiel Acido gave the Growling Tigers a one-point advantage that could decisively turn the game to their favor, 87-88.
But the senior guard would not allow this outcome as he charged past UST’s Mark Llemit to complete the winning basket before the buzzer went off.
Decorated coach Monteverde commended the team’s overall improved play and teamwork in recent games.
“Siyempre if you have a player na ganito [Alarcon], malaking relief sa’yo […] even sa team. And, seeing ‘yong team being able to respond — kung si Harold man o ibang teammate niya makagawa — for a coach, masaya ako makita na may challenge sa harapan mo [and kung] paano mo siya i-overcome,” he said.
Alarcon also responded by filling in the place of JD Cagulangan, who made clutch baskets in crucial moments of the game.
“Sa team naman namin, kung sino mainit do’n naman ibibigay. Kumbaga, basa-basa na lang din. Parang [kapag] heat of the moment, doon ka na lang magbe-base kung kanino mo ibibigay ‘yong bola,” he said.
Alarcon stuffed the stat sheets with 22 markers, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Remogat closely followed with 19 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Growling Tigers’ go-to-scorer Akowe finished with a double-double, fielding in 26 points, 16 rebounds, one assist and one steal.
On thin ice
After a promising 2-0 start earlier in the season, the UP Women’s Basketball Team found itself in a downward spiral following a 54-104 blowout loss to the top-seeded UST Growling Tigresses in the later game at the same venue.
The loss marked State U’s eighth straight defeat this season, and its fourth consecutive loss against the yellow shirts, dating back to Round 2 of Season 86.
Right from the tip-off, the España-based squad showed early signs of dominance, taking full control with an 18-0 run in the first five minutes of play.
The Fighting Maroons struggled to find their rhythm offensively, unable to convert points from their first few trips down the floor.
Fresh from the bench, rookie Shane Cunanan fired a triple to finally put the Diliman-based squad on the scoreboard and stop the bleeding, 3-18.
Despite the maroon shirts’ effort to answer back, the yellow shirts built a comfortable lead, 9-31, in the opening frame as UP managed to convert only three baskets out of 14 attempts.
Determined to patch the leaks from the opening salvo, State U showed slight improvement in the second quarter, 26-47, scoring 18 points — double their previous output — as standout Camille Nolasco torched the maroons’ slow recovery with a steal and a pair of deep bombs, sparking a 9-0 run.
But by halftime, the deficit had ballooned to 28 points, 27-55.
UST continued to dictate the tempo in the closing minutes, dominating both ends of the court and leading by as many as 53 points, 48-95.
The wide gap proved insurmountable for the Fighting Maroons as UST’s Chille Serrano sank a jumper and Coi Danganan buried two free throws to seal their 10th straight win.
Gilas Pilipinas standout Nolasco led State U’s scoring efforts with 17 points, four rebounds and two steals.
On the flip side, Nolasco’s Gilas Pilipinas teammate Kent Pastrana topscored the España-based squad in the dominant win with 25 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.
As the elimination rounds near conclusion, both teams aim to notch more wins in their four remaining games, starting with their matchups against the University of the East on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The women’s team will look to halt its season skid as they face the Lady Warriors at 11:30 a.m., while the men’s team seeks to extend its seven-game winning streak against the Red Warriors at 1:30 p.m.
