UP’s Carl Tamayo. –FILOIL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—University of the Philippines escaped a hot-shooting Arellano University, 88-82, en route to their sixth win in Group A of the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.
The Fighting Maroons had to outlast a more efficient shooting Chiefs team to tally their sixth win in eight games.
“Arellano shot very well, especially from the three point line. They gave us some troubles inside, especially ‘cause Malick [Diouf] tried to close out on the shooters. We didn’t play much to our standards today,” UP assistant coach Mo Gingerich said.
The Chiefs registered a blistering 44.9 percent shooting from the field, sinking 31 of their 69 attempts. They also shot 43.3 percent from deep (13-for-30), a huge leap from the Fighting Maroons’ 24 percent from rainbow country (6-for-25).
UP, however, successfully brushed off the Chiefs’ hot shooting in the third quarter. Arellano led UP, 49-38, before the Fighting Maroons unloaded a 22-6 run to overtake the Chiefs, 60-55.
The Fighting Maroons led by as much as 12 in the final frame, 78-66.
The UP twin towers registered double-doubles with Carl Tamayo getting 26 points and 10 rebounds and Diouf with 21 and 11.
Axel Doromal scored a game-high 27 markers while Darrel Menina had 19 for Arellano, which dropped to 1-6.