UP Fighting Maroons’Gerry Abadiano. –UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Gerry Abadiano stepped up for University of the Philippines in staving off a gritty University of the East as JD Cagulangan sat out anew due to his hamstring injury in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.
It was Abadiano’s turn to shine in the absence of their Season 84 Finals hero, delivering 13 points in UP’s 84-77 victory over UE on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
The starting point guard displayed a two-way game with his best offensive game as a Fighting Maroon so far and held UE’s scorer Kyle Paranada to just nine points on 4-of-11 shooting.
“I always think of what my team needs. Because in our team, we have respective roles. Last season and this Season 85, we have a lot of scorers. So I embraced my role as a defender. It’s what I can contribute to the team because we have a lot of scorers like Carl (Tamayo) and JD (Cagulangan),” said Abadiano in Filipino.
UP squandered a 79-69 lead with 42.8 seconds left after CJ Payawal buried back-to-back triples. But the defending champion was able to restore the order for its fifth win in six games.
“It’s what coach Gold told us to keep on fighting even in tough situations. I think we need to improve our consistency because we have a lot of lapses every game,” said Abadiano.
UP coach Goldwin Monteverde also provided updates on Carl Tamayo, who hurt his right ankle in the final minute, and Cagulangan who are both likely to suit up on Saturday against University of Santo Tomas at Ynares Center Antipolo.
“Our physical therapist said it’s just a minor sprain for Carl. I guess, he’s gonna be okay,” said Monteverde. “For JD, during our last game, his hamstring is a bit strained. He’s recovering and I think by next game he can play.”
The Season 84 champion coach lauded the depth of his team with several players from his bench stepping up, but he knows they haven’t shown their full potential.
“For me, we haven’t reached our full potential. We’re really working hard for that. I think one thing we need to address is being consistent,” he said.