THIS looked all too familiar for University of the Philippines—winning Game 1 of the Big Dance only to lose the next two games to the same foe—La Salle.
But the Fighting Maroons intend to make good use of the lessons they learned from that painful setback to the Green Archers in the last cage wars.
Showing it wanted it more, UP essayed a 73-65 victory over La Salle in Game 1 of their best-of-3 finals duel for the 87th UAAP basketball tournament crown last night before a jampacked crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Defense wins championships and if the Katipunan-based five wants to regain lost glory, they should stop La Salle, which usually shows up like a well-oiled machine.
The Maroons did just that, at least in the opening salvo of the race-to-3 series.
“We know that like if we’re gonna play against La Salle, defense is really key to win the game and I’ve felt noong second half we had more intensity,” UP coach Goldwin Monteverde said. “Defensively, we communicated better and for me, it was a total team effort.
“Offensively, for me, we moved that ball much better in the second quarter and good thing we sustained that in the second half,” he added.
In front of 16,202 fans who trooped to the Cubao venue despite the gloomy weather, 6-foot-10 Quentin Millora-Brown, who missed their second-round tiff with La Salle due to the passing of his grandfather, shone with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting for the Maroons, along with nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block.
JD Cagulangan also had 13 markers, four boards, five assists, two blocks, and a steal while Francis Lopez added 13 and six for UP.
The Maroons will go for the jugular in the second match set this Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
A deciding Game 3, if necessary, will be played on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Big Dome.
After Kevin Quiambao waxed hot for 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the first half, UP’s defense limited the soon-to-named back-to-back MVP to just one point on 0-of-6 shooting in the second half. His only point came from a technical free throw at the 5:38 mark of the fourth quarter.
The do-it-all 6-foot-7 forward still contributed 11 rebounds, one assist, and one block but also turned the ball over six times.
Mike Phillips carried the fight for the Archers with a double-double of 17 markers, 11 rebounds, five assists, and one steal, while EJ Gollena added 11 points and four boards.
