UP Maroons celebrate after beating Ateneo Blue Eagles. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
One triple. Sixteen seconds. That’s all it took for the UP Maroons to break a 14-game losing streak to Ateneo after a 56-52 victory yesterday in UAAP men’s basketball at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The 6-foot-4 forward with a soft touch drained the insurance trey off a feed by Jett Manuel as UP tied UE and UST with two wins each and repaid coach Bo Perasol’s faith in the squad.
“We know we’re better than 1-6 and we could have won more games,” said Perasol.
The Blue Eagles lost their fourth game in eight outings after they couldn’t buy a bucket for almost two minutes in the stretch.
Meanwhile, the University of the East finally showed a glimpse of the potential experts saw in the Red Warriors in the preseason following a 71-61 victory over University of Santo Tomas in the first game.
But coach Derrick Pumaren hopes to coax more from his team, especially since they’re headed for a matchup against the UAAP men’s basketball tournament defending champions.
“[FEU is] a big team, a very experienced and well-coached team, so we’ve got to be ready,” said Pumaren.