UNIVERSITY of the Philippines just may have reminded everyone how deep it is.
Sleepwalking through the first quarter, the Fighting Maroons quickly flipped the switch in the second period largely thanks to their bench and ultimately, ran away with the 69-57 victory over Adamson on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Terrence Fortea preserved State U's unblemished 5-0 record so far in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament, dropping 13 points on a perfect 3-of-3 clip from distance as the Diliman side drew 51 points from their bench mob.
Harold Alarcon also nabbed 14 points and seven rebounds, while Quentin Millora-Brown racked up another double-double of 11 points and 13 boards in a game where UP found itself shell-shocked with the Falcons' soaring 31-9 start.
But the Fighting Maroons aren't considered a powerhouse for nothing, turning the game on its head with a 24-2 rampage abridging the middle periods and most importantly, holding Adamson without a field goal from the 7:43 mark of the second frame to the halfway point of the third.
“Sometimes naman, may mga game na ganoon talaga. Yung shots namin weren’t falling, so ang sabi lang is stick with the game plan, work as a team, look for better shots, and remind each other na we have to be willing to fight for [the win],” said coach Goldwin Monteverde, as his team shot 6-of-19 from beyond the arc for the next three frames after missing their first seven three-pointers.
JD Cagulangan also shook off his early struggles and collected nine points, seven assists, and two rebounds despite his atrocious 4-of-14 shooting clip.
Almost but not quite for Adamson
On the other hand, the Soaring Falcons could not complete what they started after going 7-of-15 from the field in the first quarter. For the next three periods, they got stifled to a tough 10-of-46 field goal shooting (22-percent).
This continued the up-and-down season for the blue-and-white, which slid to an even 3-3 record.
Mathew Montebon nabbed 12 points from two treys, alongside three rebounds and two assists, as Jhon Calisay returned from a hyperextended right shoulder to finish with 12 points and four rebounds in the defeat.
The Scores:
UP 69 – Alarcon 14, Fortea 13, Millora-Brown 11, Cagulangan 9, Lopez 6, Felicilda 4, Bayla 3, Torculas 3, Belmonte 2, Ududo 2, Briones 2, Abadiano 0, Walker 0, Stevens 0.
ADAMSON 57 – Montebon 12, Calisay 12, Erolon 8, Anabo 6, Ojarikre 6, Fransman 5, Manzano 4, Yerro 2, Mantua 2, Ramos 0, Barasi 0, Ronzone 0.
Quarters: 9-26, 27-33, 51-46, 69-57.
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