After narrowly escaping a potential upset bid by the UE Red Warriors in their Round 1 closer, the UP Fighting Maroons breezed through their second-round matchup against the Recto-based squad with a 101-70 blowout on Sunday, October 25, at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym.
In a game where head coach Goldwin Monteverde fielded all nine bench players for solid minutes, the Red Warriors were unable to keep up with UP’s second unit, which outscored their own starters, 61-40.
Senior big man Gani Stevens, who dropped 13 points and 5 rebounds on a perfect 5-for-5 clip, lauded the Katipunan-based squad’s bench players for piloting the offense en route to the commanding victory.
“Everyone came off the bench ready to play today. We knew going into this game that UE—even though they haven’t been winning, they’ve definitely been playing better as a team,” Stevens said postgame.
“Everyone came off with a mindset today that we’re all gonna fight from the first guy to the last guy, everyone’s gonna be ready,” he added.
Stevens Proud of Fighting Maroons’ Growth
Now extending their streak to five straight wins, the Fighting Maroons boast a 7-2 record and remain in firm control of solo first place in the standings of the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
With senior guard Noy Remogat limited offensively after picking up four personal fouls and a technical foul, Stevens took the initiative of becoming the team’s vocal leader to keep the squad composed amid unfavorable calls.
“Noy [Remogat] got a little heated after that call and got a technical, so being a leader, I just try to gather the guys, huddle up. Me and James [Payosing] just trying to tell them to stay composed, it’s fine,” Stevens said.
The former UE standout also commended the Fighting Maroons’ growth as the season progressed, lauding the efforts made by every player in practice and how those translated into in-game results.
“I think we’ve definitely grown a lot as a team. Our coaches always say that at the start of the season, we shouldn’t already be at our peak. It should be a constant track of consistent growth. So I think now we’ve definitely grown more since the first round,” Stevens said. “We do everything as a team now, and it’s really paying off. Everyone’s hustling, everyone’s going for loose balls. Whether it’s a small thing, a small detail, we’re always gonna execute at 100%.”
Stevens and the Fighting Maroons will look to win their sixth straight when they face the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Wednesday, November 4, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
