By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons’ unstoppable rampage in the ongoing UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament continues after dominating the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 81-71, on September 14, 2024, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
With the win, the stacked Fighting Maroons just hiked its untainted UAAP record to two wins without a loss, bagging all victories with a double-digit margin against Ateneo and UE.
The Fighting Maroons picked up where they left off after dissecting the Red Warriors from the get-go, both on offense and the defensive end.
UE’s Foreign Student Athlete Precious Momowei did all that he could to slow down the barrage that the Fighting Maroons showcased but UP’s balanced attack proved to be just too much for the struggling squad.
JD Cagulangan notched his second straight double-digit scoring performance for the Fighting Maroons, dropping an efficient 21-point output despite the defensive adjustments that UE deployed in the second half.
The savvy floor general was picking UE apart by himself, finding the gaps and navigating his wise options every time he handled the leather.
Aside from his offensive prowess, Cagulangan also did it all for the Fighting Maroons, collecting seven rebounds while diming the ball perfectly four times.
It was all UP from the get-go as their collective scoring effort overwhelmed UE and also threw a stalemate as early as the first half when they ballooned their lead to 19 points heading into the third frame.
UE’s worst nightmare happened in the third when the Fighting Maroons extended its largest lead of the ball game to 27 points, 69-42, and was looking to throw the early white towel in the final canto.
However, after UE’s bench energizers started to hit some shots, the coaching staff decided to attempt one last hold to pull off a miracle.
That move paid off dividends after the Red Warriors were able to trim their deficit to just 10 points, but time wasn’t on their side anymore when the final minute of the game ticked.
Backstopping Cagulangan’s all-around effort were Mark Belmonte and Harold Alarcon who each supplied nine markers for the Fighting Maroons.
After a flawless 2-0 start in the UAAP, the Fighting Maroons will look to extend its unbeaten streak on September 18, 2024, as they take on the resilient National University (NU) Bulldogs.
