UAAP: Red-hot UE Warriors with ‘back to zero’ mentality in second round

UE Red Warriors in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net

MANILA, Philippines — After emerging as the hottest team in the first round, the University of the East Red Warriors are looking at the second round of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament as a blank slate.

With a five-game winning streak, the Red Warriors have solid a chance to fortify their bid to end a 15-year Final Four absence but Jack Santiago and his players are not going to simply ride the wave.

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 basketball

“We already achieved 5-2 so by next game in the second round, we’re back to zero. We can’t afford to relax,” said the UE coach in Filipino. “We’ll be back to reality again, we will continue working.”

UE has its best start in the league since the 2014 season after Wello Lingolingo beat the buzzer to lead the Red Warriors past the Adamson Falcons, 63-62, in a thrilling first-round finish on Sunday.

The Red Warriors gave themselves a little bit of time to celebrate their successful opening round as the third seed behind last year’s finalists La Salle and the University of the Philippines, but they immediately buckled down on Tuesday to prepare for a tougher round.

READ: UAAP: Lingolingo’s no-quit mentality pays off with UE game-winner

Santiago, who got suspended in his first year in UE’s winless Season 84 campaign and had a total of nine wins in the past two years, said he has always seen the potential in his young squad that lost star Rey Remogat even though they started 0-2 in Season 87.

UE Red Warriors’ coach Jack Santiago in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“Ever since I had this batch of team, I honestly believe that we can beat other teams. So it happened that we had two setbacks. But I still believe in my players that they can,” said Santiago.

The UE coach believes the team’s turning point this season was when the Red Warriors stunned defending champion La Salle last month — the only defeat of the Green Archers in the first round.

“The best thing that happened to us was when we played against the number one team and luckily we beat them. They felt that we could. And from there, we worked harder and we challenged ourselves to every challenge that came to us,” he said.

READ: UAAP: UE Red Warriors surge buoyed by ‘supportive community’

Precious Momowei, UE’s stats leader, also said the team’s belief that they could take on any team despite the odds this season has served as a fuel and brought them inside the Final Four picture to end the first-round.

“We have all this belief ever since the start of this season. Our number one goal is making the Final Four. Whatever it takes. We just have to be consistent and play as a team,” said the sophomore Red Warrior, who has shown great chemistry with with Lingolingo, John Abate, Ethan Galang, Jack Cruz-Dumont, Rainer Maga, Devin Fikes, and Gjerard Wilson

The Red Warriors will continue to dedicate this season to their families and the UE community, who showed a resurgence in supporting the team after a strong first round.

“We really dedicate this game to the school community. They spend money to buy tickets and sacrifice family time just to watch us. We’re really thankful to them. This is for you guys,” said Santiago.

UE opens its second round against La Salle on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.