The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons are only one win away from punctuating a first-round sweep in the UAAP Season 86 men’s and women’s basketball tournament after surviving a tough De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
After seizing the hard-fought victories, the Diliman-based squads remained atop their respective leagues with a clean 6-0 slate.
Biggest challenge yet
In an anticipated neck-and-neck affair, the UP Men’s Basketball Team (UP MBT) withstood a gallant DLSU Green Archers stand in the waning moments of the match to pull off a 67-64 escape in front of a raucous crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Returning from a two-game absence due to a concussion protocol, Gerry Abadiano showed no signs of rusts on his comeback as he notched a team-high 13 points, including the go-ahead jumper in the fourth frame that put UP ahead for good.
Reigning UAAP MVP Malick Diouf stood tall anew with another double-double of 10 points and 18 rebounds. Harold Alarcon also contributed 10 markers and eight boards for the Fighting Maroons to capture its sixth consecutive win.
Gerry Abadiano hitting a free-throw in UP MBT’s nip-and-tuck showdown vs DLSU Green Archers. Photo by Stephen Busico
With both teams staring at a 35-all deadlock midway through the second quarter, a 12-3 DLSU run kept UP at bay entering the second half, 38-47.
Down by 9, the maroon shirts drew strength from its defense to starve the DLSU Archers, who chalked only 3 points in the third frame.
UP rode the momentum and ignited a massive 21-0 bomb en route to a 59-50 cushion entering the fourth canto.
Just when it seemed that the game would head to another UP blowout, DLSU came to life with a 12-2 surge capped by Kevin Quiambao’s tough floater that tied the ball game, 63-all.
With just a minute left in the final frame, UP’s spitfire guard Abadiano galloped for a rebound off a JD Cagulangan miss and drilled a crucial mid-range jumper, 65-63.
From hereon, State U stayed composed and milked the clock that forced La Salle to burn their last foul on Reyland Torres, who then canned two pressure-packed charities.
The Taft-based crew had one last chance to force the game into overtime, but Joaqui Manuel turned the ball over to CJ Cansino off an inbound pass in the last 2.9 seconds, sending the UP crowd into celebration.
Despite the absence of star guard Evan Nelle, DLSU twin towers Kevin Quiambao and Michael Phillips showed the way for La Salle with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
For UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde, it was the suffocating Fighting Maroons’ defense in the second half that served as the key ingredient for UP’s triumph.
“We started flat at both ends in the first half and I knew the difference from the two halves would be our defense,” said Monteverde.
Historic start
Similarly, the UP Women’s Basketball Team (UP WBT) recorded their best start in the Final 4 era after scoring a 65-61 close triumph against the DLSU Lady Archers at the Adamson University Gym.
Rookie sensation Louna Ozar and team captain Justine Domingo spearheaded the Lady Maroons’ uprising with 14 points each to tally a 6-0 slate.
Bringing the same fire from their previous matches, UP started hot from the get-go and established a 7-0 run. The Lady Archers, however, managed to flip the tables and reclaim the lead, finishing the first quarter at 17-21.
As UP held to a slim 2-point lead in the second quarter, the green shirts rallied back anew in the third frame, outscoring State U to regain the cushion, 49-50.
The Filipino-French Gilas standout Ozar sparked a 6-0 surge early in the fourth that allowed UP to carve a 6-point lead, 56-50, but the gritty DLSU sliced the deficit to a single possession, 60-58 with 2 minutes, 8 seconds left.
With the match poised on a knife’s edge, a 5-0 run powered by a Christie Bariquit drive and Kaye Pesquera 3-pointer allowed UP to prove steadier down the stretch and eventually grab the victory.
“We are happy that we won. The more that the season is coming to the close of the first round, the more we are learning and getting better. We are just glad that we are still winning,” said UP WBT head coach Paul Ramos.
The UP MBT looks to retain their momentum in their clash with the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the much-awaited Battle of Katipunan on Sunday, Oct. 22, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Meanwhile, the UP WBT will also return to Adamson University Gym as they go head-to-head against the Blue Eagles to snag the team’s seventh straight win and remain at the UAAP Women’s Basketball summit on Saturday, Oct. 21.
UP MBT QUARTER SCORES: 21-28, 38-47, 59-50, 67-64
UP WBT QUARTER SCORES: 17-21, 38-36, 49-50, 65-61