The UP Fighting Maroons celebrate after defeating the La Salle Green Archers in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Finals. —Marlo Cueto/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines (UP) has never lacked motivation to reclaim the UAAP men’s basketball championship, starting with the finals defeats of the last two seasons and the collapse of the runner-up match just four nights ago.
“Since the beginning of this season, after losing last year, they have worked every day to get there,” UP coach Goldwin Monteverde said, minutes after the final buzzer of a 66- 62 in Game 3 against La Salle on Sunday night. the Fighting Maroons return to glory in front of a college basketball game record 25,248 screaming souls at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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READ: UP hero JD Cagulangan ends tenure with UAAP Finals MVP award
“I am very grateful, especially to the young (players),” he added. “Even during the season, (during) our ups and downs (they continued to work). I am very proud of each member of our team.
Francis Lopez, the reason the Maroons failed to close last Wednesday, has redeemed himself in a huge way. The athletic forward drained the triple that extinguished the last of the defending champion Green Archers’ fightbacks, 64-60, before finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
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“On behalf of my teammates and coaches, I first want to thank them for still believing in me after the loss in the second game,” said Lopez, who missed four charities and made one mistake crucial in the last sequence. “It was really a huge loss, especially for me.
“I let the team down in that game, but (it made me) work on my shooting, work on my confidence and I’m really, really happy,” he continued. “It’s a surreal feeling, and it’s the first time in my life that I’ve officially won a championship.”
UP didn’t collapse this time and played a disciplined attack that kept the Archers at arm’s length.
Quentin Millora-Brown, the big man recruited for his interior muscle, hit two free throws to complete the score and spark a wild celebration in the stands among the UP faithful.
“It’s amazing to be able to end our season with a (championship),” Millora-Brown said. “So many people can say they ended their season with a win and that’s just something I will always look back on and smile.”
The other cog out of Diliman after this season, point guard JD Cagulangan, also played a big role in the victory, finishing with 12 points before being named Finals MVP.
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