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JD Cagulangan sizzles for 21 points on 5-of-6 shooting from three-point land as UP makes easy work of UE for its second straight victory in UAAP Season 87
MANILA, Philippines – The UP Fighting Maroons continued to live up to their lofty billing in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament as they cruised to an 81-71 win over the UE Red Warriors at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, September 14.
Coming off a 77-61 demolition of their Katipunan rival Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Season 87 opener, the Fighting Maroons dominated the Red Warriors right from the get-go en route to a fiery 2-0 start to the season — tied with the La Salle Green Archers and the UST Growling Tigers.
After flirting with a triple-double in their previous outing, JD Cagulangan made it rain from long distance for the Fighting Maroons, cashing in five of his six three-point attempts, to finish with 21 points, along with 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Cagulangan dropped 13 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, including the dagger triple that put UP comfortably ahead, 79-65, after UE made a mini-run early in the fourth quarter.
Mark Belmonte and Harold Alarcon backed up Cagulangan with 9 points each, while Francis Lopez, Jacob Bayla, and Dikachi Ududo scored 7 apiece for UP in the wire-to-wire victory.
Already enjoying a 19-point lead at the half, 48-29, UP showed no signs of letup in the third quarter as it extended its lead to its largest at 27 points, 69-42, off a double-pump breakaway slam by Francis Lopez.
A fourth-quarter rally by the Red Warriors got them to within 11 points, 65-76, with still 5:07 to play, before Cagulangan restored order for the Fighting Maroons with his fifth and final triple of the match.
“The first three quarters, we were doing very well, then suddenly in the fourth quarter, we had a bad start. We need to be consistent in what we do, and we have to keep our focus,” Cagulangan said in Filipino.
UE foreign student-athlete Precious Momowei delivered a huge double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds in the loss, while Wello Lingolingo added 11 markers and 8 boards.
The Red Warriors fell to a 0-2 card — tied with the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the FEU Tamaraws, who bowed to the NU Bulldogs earlier, 62-60, in a tight one.
The Scores
UP 81 – Cagulangan 21, Belmonte 9, Alarcon 9, Lopez 7, Bayla 7, Ududo 7, Abadiano 6, Fortea 5, Millora-Brown 5, Stevens 2, Briones 2, Torres 1, Walker 0, Alter 0.
UE 71 – Momowei 20, Lingolingo 11, Mulingtapang 9, Maga 9, Abate 6, Wilson 6, Fikes 6, Galang 2, J. Cruz-Dumont 0, H. Cruz-Dumont 0, Malaga 0.
Quarters: 25-13, 48-29, 69-49, 81-71.
– Rappler.com
