To make it back to the finals, the Fighting Maroons were forced to play one of their best games of the season by a fearless NU crew.
The UP Fighting Maroons are back in the finals after pulling off a hard-fought 69-61 win over the resilient NU Bulldogs. NU came out throwing haymakers and didn’t stop swinging until the very end. UP, however, adjusted to their opponent’s pace and at the right time, went for the knockout blow.
Here are 5 things that clinched the victory and the finals berth for the Fighting Maroons.
Matching NU’s energy
The Bulldogs had set the tone of the game with overwhelming energy and relentless effort as exemplified by Kean Baclaan’s fearless drives and Jake Figueroa’s all out hustle. As a result, NU built an early lead, but was cut down to just three points by halftime. It was like UP taking NU’s best shot and later on started punching back. This in-your-face slam by Zav Lucero sums up how UP was able to match the high energy and intensity that their opponents were playing with.
Next man up mentality
A collective gasp from the UP supporters was heard around the Araneta Coliseum when Carl Tamayo was seen writhing in pain from a badly twisted ankle. Due to the injury, UP’s star big man finished with only 6 points in 11 minutes of action. This would’ve been catastrophic for the Maroons had it not been for the tremendous showing of their supporting cast.
Stepping up for UP were Cyril Gonzales and Gerry Abadiano who combined for 18 points including big baskets in the third period and in crunch time as well.
Championship experience
NU leading late in the 4th period gave the UP community a scare. Fortunately for them, pushing the panic button was never an option for the reigning champions. As the game got tighter, you could see the difference between the two teams in terms of poise and composure. The Bulldogs were the ones rushing their shots while the Maroons displayed reassuring confidence. Perhaps it was the championship experience of UP that set up JD Cagulangan to hit a dagger three with 53 seconds left.
They took care of the ball
As we said in our Final Four preview, one of the Maroons’ keys to victory was limiting their turnovers. In this game, they only committed 12 mistakes and it paid off in an afternoon when Carl Tamayo sprained his ankle. Given the frenetic tempo of NU’s play, it was especially impressive how UP managed their turnover count. This aspect of their performance will likely be underplayed but it was one of the biggest reasons why the Bulldogs failed to force a Game 2.
Malick Diouf’s MVP performance
Presumptive MVP, Malick Diouf, picked up the slack after Tamayo went down. He was a calming presence in the paint for the Fighting Maroons amid the chaotic gang rebounding of NU’s rugged forwards. During the game, the commentators referred to Malick as the MVP frontrunner but his monstrous numbers of 17 pts, 21 rebs and 3 blks make us want to say Malick is the MVP, period.
UP will face Ateneo in Game 1 of the finals on Sunday, December 11. Given how the Blue Eagles crushed the Falcons on the other side of the Final Four, the Maroons must bring their A-game and a fully healthy Carl Tamayo because they’re facing a totally different
animal in ADMU.