Goldwin: No let-up for Maroons

- Advertisement -

BY ABBY TORALBA

ALTHOUGH University of the Philippines is fast proving it has what it takes in the 86th UAAP basketball tournament, Fighting Maroons coach Goldwin Monteverde maintained they are far from done.

“Sa akin nag-improve na, nag-improve naman kami and iyon naman ang pinag-usapan naming habang nagpro-progress iyong season, kailangan nag-gro-grow din kami as a team,” Monteverde said. “Ang sabi ko, iyong mga ibinibigay sa amin during the game, minsan, lalo na kapag crucial part, sticking as a team, isang challenge iyon.

- Advertisement -

“For me they did kanina, so we just have to keep on doing it,” he added.

Monteverde spoke after UP scored a gutsy 65-60 victory over defending champion Ateneo last Sunday that hiked the Maroons’ mark to 8-1.

The win served as a revenge of sorts for UP after it dropped an 89-99 overtime loss to the Blue Eagles when they first met last Oct. 22.

“Para sa akin, it’s just one of the battles na na-overcome namin. But siyempre, we need to move forward from this,” Monteverde said.

“Siguro ang pinakamaganda lang na nakita ko, again, from galing kami sa talo sa team na ito, and kung paano kami iyon lang siguro importante.”

Monteverde also said ace playmaker JD Cagulangan (hamstring) and skipper CJ Cansino (flu) should be back in harness in their next game.

“JD is still recovering from an injury sa last game namin, he had some hamstring injury. Pero hindi naman siya iyong serious talaga, so he’s in rehab ngayon,” Monteverde said.

“Si CJ naman medyo nagka-trangkaso, may flu siya. He really tried, in fact magkausap nga kami, and nagdadalawang isip siya, talagang nahirapan siya.”

The league has taken a five-day break due to the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections and the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Maroons battle the La Salle Green Archers in a crucial tiff on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

“Ganoon pa rin. Lahat naman ng team na nakakalaban namin, paghahandaan namin, iyong breaks nandiyan, pero hindi naman siya talagang mahabang break,” he said. “So, kailangan namin mag-ensayo, kailangan namin paghandaan and kung paano rin namin tratuhin lahat ng team, gannon lang kami.

“So, kung La Salle next game namin, doon namin ilalagay ang focus namin.”

Author

- Advertisement -

Share post: