By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons completed a comeback for the ages after erasing a 22-point disadvantage to stun the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, 69-57, in the ongoing UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament on September 28, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
After raking four dominant starts to kick off their UAAP campaign to a flawless 4-0 record, the Fighting Maroons were put in a completely different situation as they trailed by double digits in the first quarter for the first time in five outings.
UP bucked a sloppy start, scoring only five points in the first nine minutes of the opening frame and finished with a season-low nine-point performance heading into the second quarter.
The Soaring Falcons then capitalized on UP’s cold beginning and buried four three-pointers after the end of the first 10 minutes to seize control of the game.
However, the Fighting Maroons displayed their championship DNA in the second period and stunned the Soaring Falcons with a momentum-swinging 18-2 offensive run to pull themselves within six points, 27-33.
Adamson’s 22-point cushion at the start of the second was only short-lived as UP finally regained their offensive rhythm, thanks to a balanced scoring attack led by Harold Alarcon, Terrence Fortea, Quentin Millora-Brown, and JD Cagulangan.
UP then only needed three minutes to get back into the driver’s seat in the third as they retook the lead, 34-33, off a Cagulangan perimeter jumper at the 7:38 mark.
After that sequence, the Soaring Falcons still put up a fight until the end of the third and kept themselves within striking distance but the Fighting Maroons stamped their masterclass in the fourth after pulling away with a fatal 19-1 run that ballooned their advantage to as much as 16 points.
“Sa team, we usually talk about how we respond sa mga challenges, and I believe for this game we responded well,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde after the come-from-behind victory.
UP senior guard Alarcon led the charge for the Fighting Maroons after top-scoring with 14 points alongside eight rebounds while sharpshooter Fortea added 13 markers.
Fortea, who faced inconsistent minutes in the rotation due to a series of injuries during the last two years, didn’t miss a single attempt from the field and capped off the huge win with a perfect 4/4 shooting.
Millora-Brown was also in the zone against Adamson and posted dominant numbers of 11 markers and 14 rebounds, while Cagulangan chipped in an all-around outing of nine points, seven dimes, and two steals.
With the win, the Fighting Maroons are still undefeated in five games, while the Soaring Falcons fell to a win-loss record of 3-3.
