The UP Fighting Maroons are now on the cusp of a UAAP title after a Game 1 victory over the La Salle Green Archers in the Season 87 men’s basketball finals.
The UP Fighting Maroons on Sunday inched closer to redemption with their 73-65 win over defending champions La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball finals at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Quentin Millora-Brown paced the Maroons’ winning effort with a career-high 17 points accompanied by nine rebounds, while veteran JD Cagulangan followed with 13 rebounds, five assists, and four rebounds.
UP will now attempt to close out this series on Wednesday, December 11 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. But before we head to Game 2, here are three highlights from the Fighting Maroons’ Game 1 win over the Archers.
UP’s second-half defense
The Fighting Maroons had begun clawing back from a six-point deficit late into the second quarter thanks to the likes of JD Cagulangan and Jacob Bayla. If it wasn’t for a Lian Ramiro triple at the 22 second mark, they could have actually entered halftime only trailing by one.
UP completed their turnaround coming out of halftime, which was aided by much-tighter defense. Halftime adjustments led the Maroons limiting the Archers to a 30.6 percent shooting clip in the final twenty minutes.
Reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao was limited to one point on 0-for-6 shooting after scoring 14 of his 18 points in the second quarter.
“If we’re going to play against La Salle, defense is really key to winning the game. I felt in the second half, we had more intensity defensively, we communicated better. And for me it was a total team effort,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde.
Accompanying UP’s defensive stand, was their trademark offense. Only this time, it came with Quentin Millora-Brown’s 13 points as he asserted his might down low.
“Offensively for me, we moved the ball much better in the second quarter, and it’s a good thing that we sustained it until the second half,” said Monteverde.
QMB stands tall
As mentioned, QMB had a career-high 17 points against La Salle, with 13 alone coming in the second half. It’s even more impressive, given that he was limited to four points and three boards throughout the first 20 minutes of regulation.
But come the second half, the one-and-done big man held his own in a rematch against La Salle’s vaunted frontcourt led by high energy big Mike Phillips.
“I mean, for me it’s just about working hard everyday. I think that we had a great game plan going into this game, and obviously they started out really well and we just had to roll with it. We found a way to get it done at the end of the day,” Millora-Brown said post-game.
The NCAA Division 1-tested center set the tone early into the third quarter, scoring five straight points that gave UP a 45-41 advantage at the 4:09 mark. Likewise, it was through him that the Maroons gained a 63-52 advantage with 6:42 left in regulation, the biggest lead for this season’s finals opener.
“I think that it’s all about reading the game as you play. I felt that there was places where I could take advantage of scoring offensively in the first half…and in the second half, the team called those plays for me to make,” the one-and-done big reflected.
“And then it was me going and doing what the team asked me to do. So as I said before, it’s just about every man stepping up.”
Familiar place
In each of their finals series, Goldwin Monteverde’s Fighting Maroons have drawn first blood against their opponents. However, they have yet to clinch a Game 2 in each of their past three finals appearances.
Making matters worse, their opponents have also used Game 2 as a stepping stone for their comeback. Ateneo did it in Season 85, followed by their current opponents La Salle in Season 86.
Three seasons later, will they finally overcome this trend against the Archers?
“Right now, part of the process of winning a championship is winning Game 1. We got Game 1 right now, so we’re going to prepare for Game 2. We’re going to do our best, lahat nang makakaya to get it. And when that game day comes, whatever comes our way, we’re going to face the challenge then” said Monteverde.
Banner image courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.