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Not even a 14-0 finish could salvage another sorry loss for FEU as mighty UP rolls to its fourth straight win after leading by as many as 25 in the final quarter
MANILA, Philippines – UP’s formidable puzzle remains unsolved in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament as the mighty Maroons wrecked the winless FEU Tamaraws, 69-58, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, September 22.
With the win, UP took a momentary hold of solo first with a 4-0 record, ahead of defending champion La Salle at 3-0 before its Sunday main event against UE. FEU, meanwhile, continues its search for win No. 1 in the Sean Chambers era with a 0-4 card.
Quentin Millora-Brown led another easy win with 11 points and 13 rebounds in just 21 minutes of action, while Francis Lopez topscored with 13 points in as many minutes on the floor.
“One thing that coach Gold [Monteverde] would always tell the players is our consistency. Consistency in the game would apply to fourth quarters,” UP assistant coach Christian Luanzon said.
“In many ways, this was similar to our game against UE. After how we started in the first 25 minutes, the last 15 minutes we kind of relaxed.”
Things initially looked good for the upset-minded Tamaraws at the end of the opening period, as Royce Alforque completed a four-point play with 0.8 seconds left to put them within 4 of the Maroons, 15-19.
However, that was last glimmer of hope FEU enjoyed as UP quickly pulled away with a huge 20-7 second quarter for a 39-22 halftime separation and never looked back.
The Maroons then led by as many as 25, 69-44, off a Reyland Torres transition layup with 4:01 left in regulation before the Tamaraws did their best to make the final score more palatable with a surprising 14-0 finish.
JD Cagulangan controlled the winning offense anew with 7 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds as 12 of the 16 fielded UP players scored in the lopsided affair.
Adam Nakai paced the Tamaraws with 12 points in 11 minutes on 4-of-5 shooting while big man Mo Konateh had his best game yet in FEU colors with 8 points and 15 boards.
The Scores
UP 69 – Lopez 13, Millora-Brown 11, Felicilda 9, Cagulangan 7, Bayla 6, Alarcon 6, Torres 4, Alter 4, Abadiano 3, Ududo 2, Briones 2, Walker 2, Belmonte 0, Fortea 0, Torculas 0, Stevens 0.
FEU 58 – Nakai 12, Bautista 11, Pre 10, Montemayor 9, Konateh 8, Alforque 6, Pasaol 2, Daa 0, Ona 0, Bagunu 0.
Quarters: 19-15, 39-22, 55-37, 69-58.
– Rappler.com
