UAAP champion coach Goldwin Monteverde continues to look for answers as UP absorbs shock loss to NU after yet another slow start.
The UP Fighting Maroons have been plagued by slow starts for most of their games in UAAP Season 87, though all but two of the contests resulted in wins, head coach Goldwin Monteverde isn’t one to try his luck.
After suffering a shocking upset against the NU Bulldogs on Sunday, November 3, during a game that would’ve clinched them the twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four, Monteverde expressed frustration with the ongoing trend surrounding the Fighting Maroons.
[RELATED: NU shocks misfiring UP to keep slim UAAP Final Four hopes alive]
“Actually, kahit sa unang game pa lang, pangalawa talagang gusto namin tanggalin, you know, yung mga slow start na yan. Well, siguro, ano pa, we need to ano, pag iba ang situation to think of ways pa na para maiwasan natin yun,” said Monteverde, who had a lengthy post-game talk with his team after the surprise beatdown.
“Ang importante lang, you know, is when we approach every game, alam namin na prepared kami and having that mindset na to able to execute on both ends,” he added.
Against the Bulldogs at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, the Fighting Maroons were caught on the back foot against a win-hungry NU squad. Dead last in the standings prior to their win over UP, the Bulldogs were raring to regain some confidence.
Led by the hot shooting of Pat Yu, NU zoomed to an early 24-8 lead over the Maroons. From that point, it was a wire-to-wire win.
Though the Maroons have been known for their comeback victories in the third quarter, NU only increased its lead later on in the game where the Bulldogs even went ahead by as many as 27, 62-35, in the second half.
With a season-low in scoring and field goal percentage, Monteverde is asking his players for better executions — even when the shots don’t fall.
“Well, sa mga ganun situation siguro I think if we could execute better. I'm not gonna take anything away from NU, they played good defense sa amin tonight,” said Monteverde.
“Siyempre, being the opposing team, pagdini-defense ka ng maayos, dapat it should call for better execution on our part. We had some open shots naman, but then again, we were not making it. MInsan siguro, nangyayari ang ganoon.
Ayaw namin siyempre to rely na ganoon. Iwo-work namin before the next game,” he continued.
But it’s not going to be an easy bounce back for UP at all, as the Maroons now go up against rivals and defending champions La Salle in their next game on Sunday, November 10.
After a stinging loss and the twice-to-beat advantage still not assured, UP will have the undesirable task of figuring out Kevin Quiambao and the Green Archers.
However, as far as Monteverde is concerned, nothing has really changed for the Fighting Maroons. Whether coming off of a win or a loss, they’re planning to go at it with everything that they’ve got.
“I think that same mindset for every game, whether it’s La Salle, NU, or Adamson. Kasi kanian every game naman sa amin will be a championship for us. Every game, we demand to give the best that we could every game,” said Monteverde.
After back-to-back seasons of runner-up finishes, Monteverde’s wards will do well to clean up their act before the Final Four commences. At the moment, they’re solo second in the standings with a 9-2 slate.