Key cog Ethan Galang missed out on the UE Red Warriors’ game against the Ateneo Blue Eagles due to a knee injury.
UE head coach Jack Santiago was able to fully utilize his roster in UAAP Season 87 as role players stepped up in their drought-ending win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles in their first round encounter, 69-62, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday night.
Santiago, who used a nine-player rotation against the Blue Eagles, was able to get enough production from his players to eke out their first win against the Katipunan team for the first time in nine years.
Though the offense was centered on Nigerian big man Previous Momowei, there was a lot of credit to go around in the convincing victory. The all-around win came even as one of the team’s key cogs – Ethan Galang – was out due to injury.
“Well, again chinallenge ko lang 'yung mga players ko last practice because again nasira na naman 'yung aming rotation because one of my players got injured again — it’s Ethan Galang who’s suffering right now with a knee problem,” said Santiago after the win.
“So, na-challenge lang sa'kin 'yung mga bata especially those players na coming off the bench, they needed to step up and ma-fill nila 'yung spot ni Ethan Galang and I’m so happy again with the boys, they responded very well again.”
Among those who stepped up was Rainer Maga, who finished with eight points and was a +9 in efficiency in 22 minutes of play.
Wello Lingolingo also continued his inspired play with 13 points built off of 4-of-5 shooting in less than 20 minutes of action.
Against a win-hungry Ateneo team, UE used a fourth quarter surge where they went on an unanswered 11-0 run to flip the script on Ateneo and seize the lead, 62-54, with 1:44 remaining on the clock.
All in all, the Red Warriors outscored the Blue Eagles, 32-17, in the final frame.
UE rebounded in the fourth salvo even after scoring only seven points in the third quarter against Ateneo’s 19 markers.
The Red Warriors are thus winners of four straight games and are solo third with a 4-2 slate.
Meanwhile, the Blue Eagles are headed to their worst record under Tab Baldwin with a 1-5 record.
Joshua Lazaro paced the losing effort with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
The Red Warriors target their fifth win when they face the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Sunday, October 6, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Ateneo, for their part, will seek to snap their two-game losing streak when they collide against the NU Bulldogs on Saturday, October 5 also at the Pasay City venue.