Chris Koon (proper) and Ateneo dealt the primary blow of their rivalry with CJ Cansino and UP. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
College of the Philippines (UP), regardless of having a robust begin to its UAAP Season 86 males’s basketball match marketing campaign, is much from excellent particularly after experiencing a tough actuality examine by the hands of defending champion Ateneo.
The Blue Eagles spoiled the Preventing Maroons’ bid for an unblemished streak on the finish of the primary spherical with a 99-89 extra time victory on Sunday night time in entrance of a loud crowd at Mall of Asia (MOA) Enviornment in Pasay Metropolis.
And that loss offers UP simply the impetus it wants to wash up its sport, when it opens its second spherical schedule on Wednesday towards Adamson.
“We’re simply midway via the season. [Being No.1 is] not one thing that has relevance to me,” coach Goldwin Monteverde informed reporters shortly after Ateneo put a cease to UP’s successful streak. “My concern is learn how to play constantly and undoubtedly after right now’s sport, we are going to study loads.”
“We’ve to assemble ourselves collectively and be prepared for the [next] sport.”
Ateneo, which has been up-and-down to date this season, acquired heavy contribution from its outdated reliables, Mason Amos, Chris Koon, Joe Obasa and Kai Ballungay, who completed with a mixed 59 factors to water down UP’s erstwhile league dominance.
Dealing with their Season 84 tormentor, the Blue Eagles additionally outrebounded UP, 57-45, together with 19 pickups off the offensive glass.
“The hassle was there however we have to study or develop in such a method that we might do this the entire sport. We simply must be constant about doing issues,” Monteverde stated because the Maroons braces for the Nash Racela-coached Adamson at MOA Enviornment.
UP hopes to repeat its 68-51 trashing of the Falcons on opening day to get again on the successful observe.
Emotional
“Losses, regardless of which a part of the season, a staff experiences that. After all it hurts. It’s onerous to simply accept however on the similar time we’re solely midway via the season and staff remains to be rising, which is our focus each time we play,” he stated. “Perhaps it’s good that we skilled it halfway via the season so we get up after this.”
CJ Cansino, who admitted to being emotional whereas taking part in the Blue Eagles for the primary time after recuperating from an damage, contributed 22 factors, six rebounds and two blocks in UP’s first lack of the season and the Maroons staff captain stated his staff’s issues had been already displaying even earlier than the Ateneo match.
“[The team’s effort] remains to be missing as a result of for the previous video games it has at all times been our downside. We look ahead to [opponents] to punch us first earlier than we throw our punch. We didn’t get the win right now and hopefully we study from this sport,” Cansino stated.
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Studying, the Maroons really feel, is the one strategy to punch a ticket to the Finals once more amid stunning groups standing on their method armed with first spherical learnings. INQ