Sean Alter played his best game in a UP jersey in the UAAP to lead the Fighting Maroons past the UE Red Warriors in UAAP Season 88.
UP big man Sean Alter has played his best game ever for the UP Fighting Maroons on Saturday, when he played a perfect game by scoring 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting to go along with six rebounds, one assist, and two blocks.
Already in his third year with UP and a championship under his belt, the Fil-Am center emerged as the spark plug for the Fighting Maroons in a sizzling start that helped his team gain control from the get-go over a winless UE side.
Despite waiting patiently for his time to come out and get a big game, Alter wasn’t shy in deflecting the credit to his teammates, especially as they pushed him to find his shot in the first half.
“I'd like to say the reason I was able to get those points is because of my teammates. Not only my teammates, like coaches, we've been practicing a lot. Just that connection with my teammates, that really shows how after we get a tough bucket, we're celebrating with each other,” said Alter after the match.
“We're really close, we're a tight-knit family. And also the coaches, every practice we're in the gym working hard, working on all of our finishes, all of the things we need to do in the game. So, I'd like to thank all of them,” he added.
Alter was the key piece in a first half where they played great on both ends of the court — including a first quarter where they limited UE to just eight points.
[READ: UAAP: Strong start propels UP past also-ran UE for fourth straight win]
Nowhere to go but up
Even if it took Alter three seasons to finally hit his stride for UP, the Fil-Am center believes that he’ll be able to ride the momentum of this career performance into the coming games for UP.
It will be a crucial step for UP, who will also be facing tougher opponents in their last three games of the elimination round — with two opponents La Salle and Adamson already giving UP losses earlier this year.
“For my confidence, I'd say... I've always tried to keep it high. This is my third season with the team. And this is, I think, by far my best game so far. So, I only see myself going up from here. But not just me and the team,” he said.
“We're going to continue to work hard and show what we got until we get to the Final Four.”
Alter shone in a game that saw all 16 players for UP see action.
With the big man rotation being slim for UP since the exit of Quentin Millora-Brown and Francis Lopez, Alter’s big game comes at an opportune time.
The Fighting Maroons face a challenge against the Soaring Falcons next when they square off on Sunday, November 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.