NO need for comebacks this time for the University of the Philippines.
Learning from their first round meeting, the Fighting Maroons took care of business and repulsed Adamson, 70-59, on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena to book the second Final Four ticket in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.
JD Cagulangan shot 3-of-6 from deep for his 17 points, three rebounds, and two steals, while Gani Stevens tallied a season-best 10 points and four rebounds as State U improved to 8-1 thanks to back-to-back wins.
The other guys for UP
But it was the others who sealed the victory, going on a late 12-0 blast behind the trio of Gerry Abadiano, Mark Belmonte, and Quentin Millora-Brown, with the towering one-and-done center putting the exclamation point in this conquest with a thunderous dunk with 52.4 left to make it a 70-57 affair.
Belmonte wound up with nine points, three assists, and one rebound, while Terrence Fortea also had nine points, five dimes, and four rebounds in a game where the Diliman side ruled the boards, 41 to 29, including 13 offensive rebounds to make up for their 28 turnovers.
More importantly, the hard-fought win brought UP back to the semifinals for the sixth straight season.
The Soaring Falcons could not recapture their hot shooting from their first duel, as they only made 7-of-23 three-pointers.
Mathew Montebon led Adamson (3-7) in this fifth consecutive loss with 14 points and five rebounds, AJ Fransman had 13 points and five boards, and Cedrick Manzano chipped in 12 and six.
The Scores:
UP 70 – Cagulangan 17, Stevens 10, Fortea 9, Belmonte 9, Abadiano 7, Millora-Brown 4, Torres 4, Bayla 3, Ududo 3, Lopez 2, Felicilda 2, Torculas 0, Alter 0.
ADAMSON 59 – Montebon 14, Fransman 13, Manzano 12, Yerro 6, Mantua 5, Ojarikre 4, Calisay 3, Ignacio 2, Anabo 0, Alexander 0, Ronzone 0.
Quarters: 17-20, 38-31, 55-48, 70-59.
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