Games on Wednesday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
10 am – UE vs UST (JHS Finals Game 1)
1pm – UST vs NU (Women’s Final 2)
5:30 pm – UP vs DLSU (Men’s Final 2)
HOST University of the Philippines (UP) will go for the jugular as defending champion De La Salle University fights for dear life in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball finals on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Maroons, whose streak ended in four straight finals appearances, edged closer to a bid to win with a 73-65 victory in Game 1 to start the fastest run of three.
And that good opportunity is here for you to take at 5:30 pm right after the same request of the National University (NU) in the women’s basketball final against the champion University of Santo Tomas at 1 pm.
Like UP, the former seven-peat champion NU scored a 72-71 escape act in Game 1 to increase its ambitions to regain the throne that it held for seven consecutive seasons until last year.
But the pressure is on the Maroons, who are staring down a similar but daunting situation for the third season in a row – with a fiery revenge expected from the Archers.
UP, under respected high school mentor Goldwin Monteverde, snapped a 36-year drought by ending Ateneo de Manila University’s three-peat Season 84 reign on JD Cagulangan’s legendary game-winner.
The Maroons went on to settle for second place against Ateneo and La Salle in Seasons 85 and 86, respectively, despite winning Game 1 – making it a great opportunity to escape history and make Diliman their own at last.
“We never dwell on the past so right now, like I said, part of the process of winning a championship is winning Game 1,” Mr. Monteverde said, looking at a bunch of heroes led by Game 1 star Quentin Millora-Brown.
“We’ve got Game 1 now so we’re going to do our best in Game 2. Whatever happens, we’re going to face the challenge there.”
La Salle, of course, is more than capable of providing that challenge by adapting to adversity after losing by 30 points in Game 1 last season to win the next two games to catch UP and lift its first title in eight years.
And archers are ready to do it again.
“We have to get back to Game 2. There’s a reason why this is a series. You don’t win a championship by winning one game, you need two games. So we still have a chance as we have been in this situation before,” he swore and asserted.
“We must continue to be positive and try to learn from this experience. Once again, it’s a tough team we played, we have to beat them in the end.”
To do that though, the Archers will need a big comeback from reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao, who bled one point without a field goal in the second half of Game 1, when the Maroons ran away unopposed. – John Bryan Ulanday
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