University of the Philippines stayed hot in the second round, overpowering Far Eastern University, 89-75, to grab solo second in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The Fighting Maroons have now won five of their last six games, improving to 6-3-just a game behind league-leading National University (7-2).
FEU trimmed a 13-point halftime deficit to six early in the third quarter, 47-41, behind a 10-3 spurt. But UP quickly regained control as Gani Stevens, Harold Alarcon, and Chicco Briones powered a 15-point swing that restored a comfortable 61-46 cushion with 2:47 left in the period.
The Tamaraws never got closer than nine points the rest of the way, as the Fighting Maroons responded to every comeback attempt. ‘We really prepared for FEU, and one thing we did well in this game was moving the ball better as a team. Everyone is slowly understanding their role, and I’m really happy to see that we’re improving and growing together,’ said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde, whose team dished out 24 assists compared to FEU’s 15.
Nigerian center Francis Nnoruka led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds in just 23 minutes, while Stevens added 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting as UP dominated inside, 48-32, in points in the paint.
Rey Remogat chipped in 12 points and eight assists, while Terrence Fortea scored 10. Jacob Bayla contributed eight points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block with zero turnovers.
‘Jacob is really valuable for us. We always stress the importance of players being able to fulfill their roles on the team and contribute on both ends of the court,’ Monteverde added.
UP aims to keep its momentum going when it faces University of Santo Tomas on November 5 at Mall of Asia Arena.
FEU, which dropped to 3-6 and seventh place after the loss, got 24 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and two assists from Gambian center Mo Konateh.
Jorick Bautista added 22 points and Kirby Mongopa had 14, but Janrey Pasaol struggled with six points on 3-of-17 shooting, though he added six assists, four rebounds, and two steals. The Tamaraws will look to bounce back against Adamson University next Sunday.