Defense is key.
University of the Philippines stuck to this basic basketball adage like glue and yielded an overwhelming result that pushed it a win away from claiming the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 men’s basketball title.
The Fighting Maroons hounded De La Salle University and its star Kevin Quiambao with their vaunted defense the whole game on their way to an emphatic 97-67 blowout win in Game 1 of the best-of-three series Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“We worked hard for today’s game and all of this written (on the stats), it’s our commitment to ourselves that we’ll be giving our best on defense. I guess this is the result of it,” UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde said as his team came closer to clinching its fourth overall crown and second under his watch after ruling Season 84.
The Fighting Maroons were relentless on the defensive end, pestering the frustrated Green Archers.
UP threw choking zones, physical one-on-one matches and disruptive press that put La Salle’s every possession into chaos pressuring the Topex Robinson-mentored squad to throw forced and ill-advised shots.
La Salle had to bleed for points, shooting an atrocious 27-of-70 from the field including an excruciating 2-of-23 from the outside.
Only six of 70 shot attempts by the Green Archers went uncontested which further proved how the Fighting Maroons put their opponents through 40 minutes of hell.
UP also forced La Salle to commit 18 turnovers which it converted to 24 points.
