As the Final Four race heats up -- just three games separate top-ranked NU from seventh-place FEU — defending champion UP is keen to chart its own course in Round 2 of the UAAP men's basketball play.
Round 2 of the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament is in full swing, and the race for the Final Four has never been tighter.
Only three games separate league-leader NU (6-2) from seventh-placed FEU (3-5), and the remaining games has suddenly taken on extra weight.
For defending champion UP, the stakes are clear.
"Napaka crucial ng bawat possession, puntos, games and we’re just staying at the present," said assistant coach Christian Luanzon.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: UP turns to Harold Alarcon as Fighting Maroons tame Bulldogs for second time]
UP has now won five of its last six games, climbing to solo third at 5-3, just behind second-ranked UST (5-2) and one game back of NU.
In the middle of the pack, La Salle (4-3), Ateneo (4-4), and Adamson (3-4) are jostling for position, underscoring how every game in this stretch could swing the Final Four race.
"We’re just gonna keep fighting. We’ve always mentioned throughout the season na every game and practice is critical," he said.
Against NU, UP executed that game plan brilliantly, jumping out to a 13-1 start and leading 22-6 after the first quarter.
While the Bulldogs fought back in the next three quarters, the Maroons leaned on Harold Alarcon, whose 24-point explosion down the stretch carried UP to a bounce-back dub.
"Malaking bagay 'yung strong start namin. It's been rare for us the whole year, but at the same time yung pagsustain naming. Our defense was able to hold up until the end," Luanzon added.
With the Final Four race tightening by the day, UP knows there’s no room for error.
But if the Fighting Maroons’ recent form and Alarcon’s heroics are any indication, the defending champions are up to the task on the road to a repeat title.
Their next opponent are the Tamaraws on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.