University of the Philippines was just five minutes and 12 seconds away from ending a three-season-long Game 2 curse in the UAAP collegiate men’s basketball tournament.
This would have provided closure to their heartbreaking back-to-back silver medal finishes in Seasons 85 and 86.
With 5:12 remaining in the contest, the Fighting Maroons held a comfortable 71-63 lead. They got two free throws each from Gerry Abadiano and Quentin Millora-Brown, along with a floater from graduating guard JD Cagulangan.
What should have been a historic night for UP, however, turned into a game they’d rather forget.
Now, winner-take-all Game 3 looms on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
MVP Kevin Quiambao flashed his brilliance with two crucial three-pointers, followed by critical mistakes from Francis Lopez.
Ultimately, the Fighting Maroons found themselves denied by the defending champions, De La Salle University Green Archers, 75-76, in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Finals on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
With De La Salle leading 76-75 following inside baskets from Millora-Brown and Mike Phillips, Lopez missed all four of his free throws in the final moments.
Phillips also missed two crucial free throws, but Lopez secured the rebound, only to turn the ball over with a pass intended for Cagulangan.
Quiambao was then sent to the line with 12.1 seconds left, but he missed both attempts. Lopez then struggled to control the ball on the potential game-winning shot as the final buzzer sounded.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“There’s no excuse. I just missed them. Can’t do anything but move on and still have a Game 3, still have another opportunity. Just gonna be focused on that,” Lopez told reporters.
“I believe we didn’t have any timeouts. We didn’t call any timeouts at the end, we were just looking for the open man. I had turnovers, we just couldn’t get it to Maimai, and that’s about it.”
Despite the missed opportunities, head coach Goldwin Monteverde refused to place blame on the 21-year-old Fil-Nigerian winger.
As the Fighting Maroons find themselves in another do-or-die situation for the fourth consecutive season – two of which ended in defeat – Monteverde reaffirmed his trust in the Season 86 Rookie of the Year.
Cliché as it may sound, Monteverde encouraged Lopez and his team to draw from this heartbreaking experience in hopes of avoiding a silver medal “three-peat.”
“I guess mga ganon na missed free throws or missed shots, it’s part of the game. As I said, we did our best to try to execute the offense. Ganon naman talaga ang basketball, miss or make lang yan,” said the decorated UAAP champion coach.
He emphasized, “Importante lang right now from here is kung paano kami magba-bounce back. Pag-uusapan namin kung paano gagawin, and be ready for the next game.
“Lahat naman nangyayari sa ganon. Tulad nung last game, pupuntahan namin siya. Yung trust namin sa kanya is very high, and as I said, each member of the team would be entitled to take shots or to execute but then, I assured him that yung trust namin will always be there for him.”
#WATCH: “NO EXCUSE”
Francis Lopez is putting Game 2 behind him and focusing on the task ahead with Game 3 of the #UAAPSeason87 Men’s Basketball Finals just around the corner! 🏀
📹 Lorenzo del Carmen/Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/ontjyoFLck
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) December 11, 2024
