The UE Red Warriors on Wednesday discovered what a prime Malick Diouf is like. In the first quarter of the morning UAAP Season 86 game, the UP Fighting Maroons delivered an utter beatdown, 32-9, led by the reigning Most Valuable Player.
Apparently, the center from Senegal is a morning person.
UE did manage to climb back from the hole and keep the fight close in the fourth quarter, but UP still proved to be too much and coasted to a 84-69 win.
Fans of the Fighting Maroons who also caught the 10 a.m. game gave Diouf his morning flowers on X, formerly known as Twitter.
How good was Malick Diouf Morning Version?
He registered a double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds, along with two steals, and three blocks in 26 minutes of action. He was just a couple of shots short of a perfect shooting day.
It's the Fighting Maroons' second victory in opening week after beating the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
"Coach (Goldwin Monteverde) was saying before the game, you have to take every game seriously. Play the same way like the first game," Diouf said after the game. "Move the ball well, defend first, concentrate on defense."
And Diouf had plenty of nice words to say about his teammates, as CJ Cansino pitched in 17 points, while touted rookie Francis Lopez had nine points, three rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block.
"The boys did very well. They improved very well, especially in this game. The ball was moving. The execution was perfect, but there is room to work on," said Diouf.
UP will next take on the NU Bulldogs on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. No, it's not a morning game. It's at 1 p.m. and will be aired live on One Sports, the UAAP Varsity Channel, and the Pilipinas Live app.
(PM)