Even after defending their FilOil Preseason Cup title, Francis Lopez is adamant on the UP Fighting Maroons taking home the UAAP crown in Season 87.
As the University of the Philippines celebrated its second-straight FilOil Preseason Cup crown, star forward Francis Lopez remained as somber as ever during the celebrations.
Lopez finished the game with eight points and 12 rebounds, helping UP take down De La Salle University once more to defend their FilOil title.
The Fighting Maroons finished the tournament unbeaten and proved yet again that they are one of the favorites to win the UAAP crown in Season 87.
But while defeating their rivals in the FilOil Finals was a sweet feat, the 6-foot-6 forward knows that UP still has a long to go before achieving their ultimate goal.
“We just tried to win today and go home because we have a lot to work on. This is not really our goal, but we just thank God we worked really hard for this. Our goal is the UAAP, not this one, so it's just another game for us,” Lopez said during the post-game press conference.
In Season 86, Lopez averaged 9.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals, taking home the Rookie of the Year award.
But come Season 87, the 21-year-old Fil-Angolan is hoping for a much more consistent performance from himself and the rest of the Fighting Maroons.
“We're in a rollercoaster. We gotta be consistent about what we do, what we plan about, and coach Gold [Monteverde] keeps telling us that just gotta be consistent. If the shots not going on, you just continue, especially on defense,” said Lopez.