UP takes opening game of the UAAP Season 87 Finals, but the goal is far from achieved for the Fighting Maroons as a La Salle bounce back looms.
UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde isn’t one to get ahead of himself after leading the Fighting Maroons to the victory in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 Finals, 73-65, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
Marking their fourth Game 1 Finals win in as many seasons, Monteverde knows that today’s results might not necessarily be carried over in the next game.
[RELATED: UP Fighting Maroons repulse La Salle to take Game 1 of UAAP Season 87 Finals]
Though proud of his players of what they were able to achieve both offensively and defensively in the pivotal Game 1 win, Monteverde understands that there is much more to do for the Fighting Maroons.
“Well I guess, Game 1 doesn’t win a championship. Definitely. Syempre, yun naman talaga yung proseso, to get yung Game 1. And nandito kami. So we’ll just have to focus on yung ano yung mga dapat naming iimprove in terms of lapses during the game kanina and try to prepare pa for the next game,” said Monteverde.
In fact, UP won both Game 1s in the last two UAAP seasons — both of which they eventually lost the series to champions Ateneo and La Salle, respectively.
Now that they have one foot in the door, it’s about forgetting the past and banishing the ghost of the last two seasons, and the past game.
“We never naman dwell on the past no? So right now, as I said, part of the process of winning a championship is you know, winning Game 1. So we got Game 1 right now so we’re gonna prepare for Game 2,” said Monteverde, whose UP team broke a four-game UAAP losing slump against La Salle.
“So we’re gonna do our best, lahat ng makakaya namin to get it, and when that game day comes, whatever comes our way, we’re gonna face the challenge there,” he added.
True to the cliche of defense winning championships, UP relied on its defensive game plan against presumptive two-time MVP Kevin Quiambao, who was limited to just one point in the second half.
After scoring 18 markers in the first two quarters, Quiambao ended up with 19 points at the final buzzer. But when it came to efficiency, he was -9, and was 0-of-6 in the last two quarters of the game.
With all on the line, the Fighting Maroons will attempt to do the same thing when Game 2 rolls around next week.
After finishing with a career-high 17 points, Quentin Millora-Brown will be among UP’s anchors in Game 2. He ended up +12 in efficiency as he also had nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block.
JD Cagulangan registered 13 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks, and Francis Lopez chipped in 13 markers, six boards, two assists, one steal, and four blocks for the Fighting Maroons.
Monteverde credited the whole team effort in the victory, which puts UP one game away from its first title since UAAP Season 84.
“We know naman, if we’re gonna play against La Salle, yung defense is really key to win the game and I felt nung second half, we had more intensity defensively. We communicated better. For me, it was a total team effort,” said Monteverde.
“Offensively, for me, we moved the ball much better nung second quarter and good thing that we sustained it until the second half,” he added.
Game 2 tips off on Wednesday, December 11, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.