UNIVERSITY of the Philippines had to dig deep to overcome a lackluster opening quarter, eventually dominating Adamson University, 69-57, to remain unblemished in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
After a three-pointer by Matt Erolon propelled the Soaring Falcons to a game-high 22-point lead at 31-9, the Fighting Maroons staged an impressive 18-2 run to cut their deficit to just six points, trailing 27-33 at halftime.
Prior to UP’s fightback, the Fighting Maroons were limited to 3-of-16 shooting from the field and four turnovers in the opening period, marred by a 0-of-7 performance from beyond-the-arc compared to Adamson’s four three-pointers.
This momentum shift proved crucial as UP began to find its rhythm.
In the second half, UP continued to gain control of the game.
A three-pointer from Manu Anabo gave Adamson a brief two-point lead at 46-44, but UP quickly responded with a dominant 19-1 run fueled by Terrence Fortea, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Harold Alarcon.
This explosive stretch allowed the Fighting Maroons to establish a commanding 16-point lead at 63-47 with under six minutes remaining in the game.
“Sometimes may mga game na ganon talaga… Napagusapan na we just stick to the game plan, work as a team, look for better shots, at the same time on the other hand, we had to remind each other that defensively, we needed to work for it,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde.
“Sa team, we usually talk about how we respond sa mga challenges, and I believe for this game we responded well,” he added.
Fourth-year gunner Alarcon led UP’s comeback win with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Fortea chipped in 13 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting night.
Millora-Brown tallied his second straight double-double performance with 11 points and 14 rebounds, while team captain JD Cagulangan contributed nine points, seven assists, and two steals.
The Fighting Maroons look to maintain their winning ways against University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
After leading Adamson’s stunning victory over a struggling National U side, Matthew Montebon was limited to 12 points on a 27.3 percent shooting clip.
Jhon Calisay, who went down with a right shoulder injury at the 6:01 mark of the third frame, also contributed 12 points to go along with four rebounds and two steals as the Soaring Falcons dropped to an even 3-3 card.
Adamson aims to bounce back against the University of the East next Sunday, Oct. 6, at the same Pasay venue.
The Scores:
UP (69) – Alarcon 14, Fortea 13, Millora-Brown 11, Cagulangan 9, Lopez 6, Felicilda 4, Bayla 3, Torculas 3, Belmonte 2, Udodo 2, Briones 2, Abadiano 0, Walker 0, Stevens 0
Adamson (57) – Montebon 12, Calisay 12, Erolon 8, Anabo 6, Ojarikre 6, Fransman 5, Manzano 4, Mantua 2, Yerro 2, Alexander 0, Ronzone 0, Barasi Jr., 0, Ramos 0
Quarterscores: 9-26, 27-33, 51-46, 69-57
