It’s the season kicker and the Fighting Maroons got the jumpstart its redemption campaign needed.
The men's basketball team came and conquered their first battle with the Ateneo Blue Eagles over the weekend, 77-61.
After Season 86’s second-place finish, the Diliman-based squad came out on the hardwood at Araneta Coliseum thirsting for the gold they have not seen since 2021.
A slow burner at first, both Katipunan teams racked up a combined 36 fouls in the first half. Eventually, after constant back-and-forth in the first quarter, the Maroons tipped the scales in their favor by leading 10 points at halftime, 40-30.
“I thought we started tight in the first half. Then we started to move the ball around, then we got the rhythm we wanted. Doon namin nakuha yung confidence namin as a team,” coach Goldwin Monteverde said.
It was when UP found its groove in the third quarter that the assault really began, dominating Ateneo by as much as 18 points.
Even as the Eagles closed the gap to eight points in the last five minutes, player of the game JD Cagulangan quickly shut it down by hitting a jumper. And in the next possession, he passed to Season 86’s Rookie of the Year Francis Lopez, who put the nail in Ateneo’s coffin with a layup and a legendary slam, bagging five points and swinging the lead back to 15.
Cagulangan got close to a triple-double with 17 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. The veteran guard, who is spending his last year in UAAP this season, led the pack to victory as the team made the game a runaway.
But with new recruits such as Quentin Millora-Brown (QMB), Sean Alter, Gani Stevens, Dikachi Ududo, and rookie Jacob Bayla making their debut on the court, UP has quite literally brought its roster to new heights.
Now, with the addition of these faces, all but Cagulangan and team captain Gerry Abadiano measure 6 feet in stature and wingspan. And so far, their investment has proven to be worth it.
QMB’s performance especially had the makings of a star despite this being his only season, coming through for the team with 17 rebounds. The 6-foot-10 center’s presence was a standout on the paint as he towered over the competition.
And with taller players, the Maroons were able to pierce through the Eagles’ defense and score 32 points in the paint.
“Well, I believe that each one did their role in helping the team win the game,” Monteverde said. “And ang importante naman na, improving the way we play together, yun yung ultimate goal namin as the tournament progresses.”
Even with the shining 13-point debut of Ateneo rookie Jared Bahay, who originally committed to the Maroons in 2023, it proved to be a cold shooting night for the Eagles as the team only sank 19 out of 66 (28.8%) of their shots to UP’s 29 out of 59 (49.2%).
Despite fewer opportunities to score on the free throw line, UP capitalized on the freebies and got nearly 14 out of their 24 free throw attempts on the line. And even with the Maroons’ foul trouble, the Eagles struggled to land less than half of their 40 attempts, which proved to be decisive.
But something the Maroons need to watch out for in the coming games are their turnovers. With UP barely keeping the ball in their hands, Ateneo stole the ball seven times and took a solid 16 points from turnovers.
The Maroons will continue their redemption campaign against the UE Red Warriors in primetime on Saturday at Araneta Coliseum.
UP
Cagulangan 17, Millora-Brown 7, Bayla 7, Abadiano 5, Belmonte 4, Lopez 14, Fortea 8, Ududo 7, Alarcon 6, Torres 2, Briones 0, Stevens 0, Alter 0, Felicilda 0.
ATENEO
Espinosa 4, Koon 3, Porter 3, Bongo 2, Quitevis 0, Bahay 13, Lazaro 11, Tuano 11, Espina 7, Balogun 4, Gamber 3, Edu 0, Ong 0.
QUARTER SCORES
17-16, 40-30, 58-45, 77-61. ●
