Harold Alarcon came through in the clutch once more as University of the Philippines edged University of Santo Tomas, 89-88, in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball second round on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Alarcon sank seven straight points down the stretch, including the go-ahead jumper with only 22 seconds left that pushed the Fighting Maroons to their third straight win and a 7-3 mark. ‘We’re prepared for situations like those,’ said Alarcon.
‘We’ve been prepared for these to help with our experience for the future games. If we have these experiences and situations, we’ll know what to do.’
The graduating guard was a man on a mission, finishing with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Alarcon’s heroics helped the Maroons complete their comeback after trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half. They also avenged their season-opening loss to the Growling Tigers.
Rey Remogat and Migs Yniguez also stepped up for UP with 19 and 11 points, respectively.
The losses continued to pile up for the Tigers, who were once one of the top teams in the league.
Collins Akowe registered 26 points and 16 rebounds, but accounted for 10 of UST’s 24 missed free throws. Akowe went 10-of-20 from the line. Nic Cabañero added 18 points.