The UP Fighting Maroons reassert their might against their Katipunan neighbors, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, to give champion coach Tab Baldwin his worst loss in the UAAP.
The UP Fighting Maroons hit the ground running in the second half as they zoomed to a 28-point beating of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 75-47, in the second round of UAAP Season 87 at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday.
The Fighting Maroons, led by former Ateneo High School player Francis Lopez, dealt four-time UAAP champion coach Tab Baldwin the worst loss in his career with the Blue Eagles in the lopsided affair.
It was in the third quarter where the Fighting Maroons blew the game wide open with a 15-0 run to begin the period — while also leaving Ateneo scoreless for half of the frame.
The lead only continued to balloon until late in the fourth quarter where they led by as much as 30, 75-45, after a Jacob Bayla layup with 1:11 left in the ball game.
Lopez finished with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block.
Meanwhile, Quentin Millora-Brown flexed his might inside the paint with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds in just 18 minutes of play.
Both Lopez and Millora-Brown made up for an off night by UP point guard JD Cagulangan who finished with just two points.
For the Ateneo side, no player finished in double-digit scoring with Chris Koon being the top scorer with nine points.
UP thus strengthened its bid for the twice-to-beat advantage in the UAAP semis with a 9-1 slate, while Ateneo’s hopes dimmed as the Blue Eagles are now 3-8 and have lost four in a row.
UP is also on a four game losing streak against the Blue Eagles stretching from last season.