UAAP: Maroons want relentless push into Final Four

The University of the Philippines is on quite a run in the second round of the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.

For one, the Fighting Maroons have solidified their spot as the league’s second seed with an 8-3 record. On Saturday, the defending champions extended their win streak to four after dismantling the University of the East, 70-61, at UST’s Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Still, their footing in the Final Four race isn’t as solid as they want it to be and they are aware of the need to build more momentum moving forward.

After all, they’ve been in this race one too many times in previous UAAP seasons.

“What’s important for us is to continue building towards our momentum heading into the Final Four,” said assistant coach Christian Luanzon. “Obviously, we have a chip on our shoulders and we want to bounce back from [previous losses to] Adamson and La Salle.”

There’s a reason behind Luanzon’s mention of the Soaring Falcons and the Green Archers.

La Salle sits just behind UP in the standings at 6-4, while Adamson lurks at 5-5. Coincidentally, those two teams are also UP’s last opponents in the elimination round—and both dealt UP losses in the first round.

If the defending UAAP champions want payback and a firmer position in the semifinals, they’ll need everyone to step up.

Their win over UE showed glimpses of that.

“Our team is heavy on guards, so sometimes, as the saying goes, pick your poison,” Luanzon said. “We have guys like Sean (Alter) and Francis (Nnoruka) who see opportunities, but at the same time, the guards trust them [and give] them the basketball.”

Rey Remogat and Harold Alarcon struggled, scoring just five and four points, respectively. Fortunately for UP, Nnoruka stayed consistent with 16 points and three rebounds.

Alter came into his own with 13 points and six rebounds.

“Being able to play the minutes I get and having my teammates help me on some plays really made me seize the opportunity,” Alter said.

“Everyone’s going to have their days, whether it’s good or bad. I feel like today, I was just in the right place at the right time. I just want to continue to move forward with that and do the right things in the next games,” he added.

Tope Lagat led UE with 21 points while Wello Lingolingo came two rebounds shy of a double-double, finishing with 11 points and eight boards. The Red Warriors remain winless in 11 games.