UP Maroon starts with a cry and ends calmly

The teams will be looking to end the University of the Philippines’ (UP) undefeated streak in Season 87 of the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament.

But each time, the Fighting Maroons responded as only champions can. Adamson was the last to go down Saturday as UP cruised to a 69-57 victory after the Soaring Falcons went on a stunning 26-9 run in the first quarter. That set the stage for an upset at the Mall of Asia Arena.

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“Sometimes, games like that really happen,” coach Goldwyn Monteverde said in Filipino after the Maroons’ perfect five-game record. “We tried to be aggressive in the first half, but our shots weren’t falling.

“So we just talked in the huddle to stick to the game plan and work as a team.” [and] Look for better shots,” he continued. “Adamson was making a lot of 3-pointers, so we had to remind each other that we needed to work hard defensively.”

The Maroons trailed to 31-9 before wrapping up the game.

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And when they did, the Falcons just fell by the wayside.

Harold Alarcón finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and one block, and Terrence Fortaire, who continued his strong third quarter, contributed 13 points after draining all three triple tries. He also recorded five rebounds.

Meanwhile, in the women’s competition, National University defeated Tobu University 67-39, gaining momentum with their sixth straight win.

But the Lady Bulldogs were still far from satisfied after giving up the ball 26 times.

shooting contest

“I practice those shots, and I think it comes down to confidence and belief in yourself,” Adamson said of a virtual shootout with Monty Montibon and Manu Anabo. After that, Fortea spoke all at once in the third frame.

“We talked about continuing to attack despite (Adamson’s) huge lead, so I’m really happy that we won,” Fortea added.

Quentin Milola-Brown was dominant in the paint, posting 11 points and 14 rebounds, underscoring the Maroons’ eventual 51-31 advantage on bench production.

“After that first quarter, I thought we responded great,” said Mirora Brown, a one-of-a-kind forward from The Citadel College. “That’s what I thought [in] The first quarter was sluggish, flat, we couldn’t make any shots and our defense didn’t get the stops we had planned for the game plan.

“But I thought it was a great response from everyone.”

catastrophic sequence

Charity shots from big man Dikachi Udud and Milola-Brown late in the third quarter energized the Maroons, who crushed the Falcons with a 17-1 run.

UP is two games away from winning the first round, and their final challenge will be a matchup against the revamped University of Santo Tomas and 86 season powerhouse La Salle.

And Monteverde, along with the rest of the Maroons, will continue to reach the next level.

“During the game, you’re not thinking about the end result, whether you lose or win,” Monteverde said. “We just stay in the present.”