The UP Fighting Maroons looked on their way to a loss in the first three quarters against the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Wednesday. Then they flipped the script in the final frame to notch a 69-67 victory in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With the victory, the Maroons now share the first seed with the FEU Tamaraws and NU Bulldogs, with similar 4-2 win/loss cards.
In the game’s waning minutes, the transferee duo of Veejay Pre and Rey Remogat took charge of the UP offense, with both players scoring and assisting on seven of the last nine Fighting Maroons points to seal the comeback.
Pre, who finished with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, underscored the extra training sessions with Remogat as a key boost in their productive minutes on the hardwood.
“Palagi kaming nag-e-extra kay Coach Pat [Tancioco] sa Be Better [Basketball], siguro dun na kami nag-aamuyan ni Noy, tabi din kami sa practice,” Pre said postgame.
Pre Not Satisfied with UP’s Win
Despite the victory, Pre called for more effort from the Katipunan-based squad after allowing Adamson to create scoring runs throughout the first three quarters, which initially placed them in a 13-point hole.
“Hindi dapat mangyari ‘yung maganda start namin tapos bibitawan namin ‘nung second [at] third [quarter],” Pre said. “A win is a win, pero hindi kami kuntento sa pinakita namin ngayon. Bawi kami sa next game namin sa Saturday,” he added.
Entering their Round 1 closer against the winless UE Red Warriors, Pre emphasized the team’s importance to open the match the same way they closed their bout with Adamson, while ensuring no complacency in the second and third periods.
“Sa first quarter pa lang, ganon ‘yung papakita namin. Hindi dapat pwede mangyari ‘yung bagsak kami sa second, third, tapos bawi kami ng fourth quarter. Paano na lang kung tambak kami? ‘Di talaga pwede mangyari ‘yung ganun,” the Season 87 Rookie of the Year shared.
Pre and the Fighting Maroons will look to close their first round strong against the Red Warriors on Saturday, October 17, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
