University of the Philippines clamped down defensively in the second half to pull away from Ateneo, 94-75, and remain unbeaten in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Fighting Maroons improved to 2-0 after following up their opening-day victory over University of Santo Tomas with another win, this time against their Katipunan rivals.
But UP had to work for it.
The Maroons held just a 57-56 lead at halftime before tightening their defense, particularly against Kieffer Alas, and taking control after the break.
‘We immediately talked about our lapses on the defensive end after the first half,’ UP coach Goldwin Monteverde said. ‘We talked about what we needed to do against certain players from Ateneo and, for me, I saw how the team took the challenge and how they accepted it.’
UP responded by holding the Blue Eagles to just 10 points in the third quarter.
The Maroons also contained Alas after he scored 10 points in the first half. He finished with 13.
UP continued to pull away in the fourth quarter, with Veejay Pre’s basket at the 4:39 mark giving the Maroons a 77-61 advantage.
Pre nearly had a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Payosing led UP with 17 points.