The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons drew first blood in the best-of-three finals against the defending champions De La Salle University Green Archers, 73-65, in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.
After missing the Fighting Maroons encounter with the Green Archers in the second round of eliminations because of the death of his grandfather, Quintin Millora-Brown surely made his presence felt as he delivered a team-high 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block.
With a slim 54-50 lead in the fourth quarter, Millora-Brown and Aldous Torculas led UP to an 11-4 blitz to dig La Salle into an 11-point hole, 65-54. La Salle came within striking distance as they trimmed the deficit to four, 61-65, after baskets from Mike Philips and Liam Ramiro.
Fortunately for the Fighting Maroons, team captain Gerry Abadiano woke up at the right time as he extended their lead to seven, 70-63, with 40 seconds remaining. Philips had a successful layup to close the gap to five, 65-70, but Harold Alarcon and JD Cagulangan sealed the Fighting Maroons’ win against La Salle.
“Game 1’s won’t win championships. Although the goal is always to win Game 1, nandito na kami, one game away. We just have to focus on what we need to improve in terms of lapses during the game kanina and try to prepare for the next game,” UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde said after the game.
Cagulangan finished the game with 13 points, five assists, four rebounds, two blocks, and one steal, while Francis Lopez scored 13 points, six rebounds, four blocks, two assists, and one steal.
For the side of La Salle, back-to-back UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao had a double-double performance for 19 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, and one block. Philips also had a double-double performance of 17 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and one steal, while EJ Gollena scored 11 points and four rebounds.
Kevin Quiambao’s Explosive First Half
In the first half of the match, Kevin Quiambao delivered 18 points as the defending champions showed their dominance against the Fighting Maroons. In the second quarter alone, Quiambao scored 14 points in 66.7% field goal efficiency.
Aside from Quiambao, only three other Green Archers scored in the second quarter – EJ Gollena with four points, Lian Ramiro with three points, and CJ Austria with two points.
Thankfully, JC Cagulangan scored nine points as he played the whole quarter on the court. Jaycob Bayla had five points, Gerry Abadiano had four points, and Quentin Millora-Brown, Francis Lopez, Sean Aldous Torculas, and Terrence Fortea scored two points apiece.
At halftime, the Green Archers were holding a 41-37 lead against the Fighting Maroons.
QMB’s Second-half Surge
In the second half, Quintin Millora-Brown finally found his grove as he scored 13 points and six rebounds. Francis Lopez added nine points while Gerry Abadiano, JD Cagulangan, Sean Aldous Torculas, and Harold Alarcon combined for 23 points.
However, aside from these statistics, the Fighting Maroons’ stellar defense came into play as they limited Kevin Quiambao to just one point – a free throw – in the second half.
Millora-Brown was the best player of the game with a career-high 17 points in 64% field goal efficiency, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block.
For Fighting Maroons head coach Goldwin Monteverde, their defense really came into play in the second half after letting Kevin Quiambao score 18 in the first half.
“We know naman that every game we play against La Salle, defense is really key to winning the game. I felt that nung second half, we had more intensity defensively [and] we communicated better,” he said.
“For me, it was a total team effort. Offensively, we moved the ball much better nung second quarter, and good thing we sustained it to the second half.”
For Millora-Brown, who previously played for The Citadel in the NCAA, playing for the Fighting Maroons was in his blood as his grandfather was an alumnus.
“You know, it means so much to me. UP is the place where my grandfather went to school. It’s a place that, this year, I was so glad to be able to make those memories – things that he’s seen, things that he’s done, and the pride that I feel when I wear the jersey,” he shared.
“Being able to win the next game and finish out the season the right way would be amazing.”
La Salle looks forward
De La Salle University Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson credited the defense of the Fighting Maroons as his star player, Kevin Quiambao, had six turnovers and only recorded one assist in the loss.
“Just like what I said, they did a great job in stopping KQ. We weren’t able to make adjustments down the line. At this point, it’s just a matter of us really learning from this experience,” he said after the game.
However, coach Topex remained positive as they are already in an unfamiliar territory. In season 86, La Salle lost the first game in the best-of-three finals with a 30-point blowout against the Fighting Maroons, 67-97.
Fortunately for the Green Archers, they bounced back just in time for the second game, 82-60. In the do-or-die third game, Green Archers took home the victory with a 73-69 score.
“The only thing that I told the team is that there’s a reason this is a series. You don’t win the championship by just winning one game. You need to win two games, so we still have a chance. We’ve been in this situation before. We just have to keep on being positive,” Robinson said.
“The players in the dugout just reminded each other to stay positive and learn from this experience.”
Game two of the best-of-three finals between the De La Salle University Green Archers and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons will be on Wednesday, December 11, at 5:30 p.m.
