Last year’s bronze medalists, the UP Fighting Maroons face an uphill battle towards returning to the Final Four in UAAP Season 87.
Often times in collegiate basketball, it is difficult to maintain your standing in each particular season as players come and go because of eligibility, injuries, and other factors.
As last season’s podium finishers UP can attest to, a team’s position can vary greatly in just a year’s time.
Because of an injury to UAAP Season 86 Rookie of the Year Favour Onoh, the Fighting Maroons have been experiencing an uphill battle. Though previously among the favorites to contend for the title, UP has struggled with its play in Season 87.
After seven games, UP is sitting at 5th place with a 3-4 slate. Looking at what the team has been able to achieve despite facing a huge setback before the season even started, head coach Paul Ramos got candid on his team’s situation at the moment.
“[The] good thing is that we won three games. It shows naman na every season is really a challenge for everybody. You cannot disrespect any other team even if you’re anticipating before the season. It showed this season that all of the teams got better and everybody’s trying to vie for that Final Four,” said Ramos.
“We’re just one team that is fighting for that one spot. Bad side is that we’re on the underdog na naman,” he added.
UP was the surprise of the season last year, as the Fighting Maroons competed — and won — against title contenders en route to a campaign that led them to their first Final Four appearance in 15 years.
But because of Onoh’s injury, and a more competitive field this year, it has become a tougher journey for State U.
Still, Ramos and the rest of the UPWBT understand what they need to do moving forward.
Now with their learnings from the first round, they hope to catch a breakthrough in the second and make the Final Four again.
“Because of the situation that we only won three games, for us to enter the Final Four, we have to win against five formidable teams. So hopefully, we can pull it off,” he said.
The Fighting Maroons are headed into a one-week break before round 2 with a victory against the DLSU Lady Archers, 66-62, which snapped a two-game losing streak.
Against La Salle, UP was paced by Achrissa Maw and Louna Ozar. Maw had a team-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting while Ozar finished with a double-double of 13 points, and 12 rebounds. She also had six assists, and a steal.