UAAP: UP repeats over UST to get back on track

UP Fighting Maroons during a game against UST Growling Tigers in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

University of the Philippines asserted its dominance against University of Santo Tomas after sweeping their preliminary matchups in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Fighting Maroons are coming from a 68-56 loss to rival La Salle to wrap up the first round as Francis Lopez finished with 20 points, 8-of-9 from the field, and seven rebounds.

“It was a hard loss for us last week, but we’re here to bounce back and we did that,” Lopez said after UP improved to a 7-1 record, tied with current league leader La Salle. “This is really a boost for us as a team. Hopefully, we can get it in the next game.”

READ: UAAP: UP seeks to improve execution after first loss

Terrence Fortea heated things up after scoring 14 of his 16 points in the second half, nine of which in the fourth quarter to allow UP to pad up a cushion. Harold Alarcon added 11 points while Quentin Millora-Brown delivered 10 points and six rebounds.

The Fighting Maroons under coach Goldwin Monteverde are now 8-0 all-time against the UST Growling Tigers since he took over in 2022.

“Being consistent with what we’ve always said in the first round, responding to the challenge at hand. I believe the team, in a way like in the first half, I think we’ve been forcing the UST to miss shots most of the time,’ coach Goldwin Monteverde said. “But then, they were able to control the offensive rebounds. So, I think the team worked together to control the rebounds in the second half.”

UP Fighting Maroons’ Terrence Fortea during a game against UST Growling Tigers in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Christian Manaytay gave UST the lead at the end of third quarter with a triple which the Maroons immediately erased with a 16-5 run started by an emphatic Dikachi Ududo dunk.

Fortea, JD Cagulangan, Quentin Millora-Brown and Mark Belmonte also had a hand in the blistering run that put UST in a deep hole that it couldn’t climb out of anymore.

READ: UAAP: Francis Lopez after UP-La Salle game: ‘one action made it personal’

UST’s Tounkara shot a long two before Fortea drained back-to-back triples for good measure.

“In the first half [UST] had a high second chance points and we eliminated that going into the second half. Four offense, we only exploited what the defense gave us,” Fortea said.

Tounkara still shot well with a 10-out-of-17 clip on the way to 24 points along with nine rebounds. Nic Cabañero matched Tounkara’s effort with 17 points and also nine rebounds while Manaytay added 12 points as the Tigers sank to a 4-4 card.

UP guns for a second consecutive win against University of the East on Oct. 23 after the league rescheduled the Oct. 20 games at the Quadricentennial Pavilion due to the UST entrance exam.

UST, meanwhile, will have a short turnaround time as it battles another league heavyweight La Salle next on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.