Defending champion University of the Philippines rallied from 16 points in the first half and leaned to Terrence Fortea in overtime to turn back Adamson University, 87-78, for its second straight victory in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the Philsports Arena.
Fortea was superb in the extra session, nailing back-to-back triples and assisting Malick Diouf’s slam dunk. That gave the Fighting Maroons the necessary separation at 82-74 with 2:28 remaining.
Continuing to shine in the absence of injured guard JD Cagulangan, Fortea scored 12 points and dished out five assists to go with three assists and two rebounds in 34 minutes of action.
“Terrence really picking up naman since before na mag-start,” said Fighting Maroons coach Goldwin Monteverde. “Last season was a big adjustment for him kasi for that position. But this season, I think unti-unti, siguro habang wala si Maimai (JD Cagulangan), nabibigyan siya ng time at nag-iimprove siya.
“Hopefully, pagbalik ni Maimai, at least puwede silang magsabay,” he added.
The Falcons lost a 47-31 halftime lead but were able to send the game into overtime. Joem Sabandal calmly hit three free throws off a James Spencer foul with 0.1 seconds left in regulation.
However, the San Marcelino-based cagers could not get the job done.
Zavier Lucero led the Fighting Maroons with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Meanwhile, Senegal’s Diouf produced a double-double outing of 13 points and 12 boards to go with four blocks and four assists.
Adamson University dropped in a tie with Far Eastern University at 0-2.
On the other hand, Jerom Lastimosa came through with 25 points, six assists, and six rebounds. Congo’s Lenda Douanga chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks for the Falcons.
The Scores:
UP (87) — Lucero 15, Diouf 13, Fortea 12, Tamayo 11, Alarcon 9, Gonzales 9, Spencer 8, Galinato 3, Ramos 3, Torculas 2, Calimag 2, Abadiano 0.
Adamson (78) — Lastimosa 25, Douanga 11, V. Magbuhos 10, Sabandal 10, Hanapi 8, Yerro 4, Jaymalin 3, Manzano 2, Barasi 2, W. Magbuhos 2, Flowers 1, Colonia 0, Torres 0, Barcelona 0.
Quarterscores: 19-17, 31-47, 58-62, 74-74, 87-78
