Veejay Pre showed no signs of fatigue, scoring all seven of the University of the Philippines’ points in the second overtime to help the Fighting Maroons outlast the University of Santo Tomas, 103-101, in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday evening.
Pre accounted for all seven UP points in the second extra period, powering the Fighting Maroons to their fourth consecutive victory and sole possession of the top spot at 6-2, ahead of the idle National University Bulldogs.
“For us naman, we never doubted Veejay to step up sa mga ganitong klaseng situations,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde after the thrilling contest. “What I’m most proud of is ‘yung pag ganitong laban na nag-double overtime, puso na lang ang pinag-uusapan eh.
“Seeing our team fighting through to the end, going through sa ganitong klaseng game would be a learning experience for the team,” he beamed.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
The classic capped a historic opening men’s gameday, which featured two overtime games for the first time in seven years. Earlier, De La Salle University needed an extra five minutes to turn back the University of the East, 97-88.
Pre gave UP a 102-98 lead with a layup with 1:32 remaining in the second overtime. However, Kirk Cañete trimmed the deficit to two after splitting his free throws, before Mark Llemit drove to the basket to bring the Growling Tigers within one, 101-102, with 41.5 seconds left.
Noy Remogat then gave UST another opportunity to complete the comeback after missing two attempts on the other end, leaving the Growling Tigers with one final possession with 14 seconds remaining.
Cañete, a rookie from the UST High School program, took matters into his own hands and drove against Remogat. However, the UP guard redeemed himself with solid defense, forcing Cañete to miss the rim entirely and preserving the Fighting Maroons’ narrow lead.
Pre then split his free throws with 2.1 seconds left to make it 103-101, before the Growling Tigers threw the ball away on the ensuing inbound play to seal UP’s victory.
“Salamat sa mga coaches sa tiwala nila sa akin. Sinusuklian ko lang ‘yun. Masaya ako na ‘yung pagiging composed namin nakita sa game na ito,” said Pre, who finished with a monster performance of 30 points, 16 rebounds, four steals, three assists, and one block.
Pre also became the first UP player to score 30 points in a UAAP game since Juan Gomez de Liaño, who tallied a career-high 30 in an 89-87 victory over Adamson University on November 28, 2018.
The game featured several momentum swings, with UST rallying from an eight-point deficit, 76-84, with 1:57 remaining in regulation before UP answered by recovering from an 89-96 hole with 1:32 left in the first overtime.
Chicco Briones was the next-highest scorer for the Fighting Maroons with 14 points, while Remogat contributed 10 points and six assists but struggled with his shooting, making just four of his 16 attempts from the field.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Meanwhile, UST saw its two-game winning streak snapped, dropping to 4-4 and a tie for fifth place with La Salle.
Llemit’s career-high 33-point performance, built on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, went unrewarded, while Collins Akowe posted a double-double of 23 points and 18 rebounds.
Llemit and Pre also became the first opposing players to score at least 30 points in the same UAAP game since October 4, 2017, when La Salle’s Ben Mbala scored 39 and UE’s Alvin Pasaol erupted for 49 in the Green Archers’ 106-100 victory over the Red Warriors.
Cañete likewise delivered his best performance in the collegiate ranks, finishing with 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds.
Both teams return to action on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym.
UP takes on UE at 2:30 p.m., while UST faces La Salle at 6 p.m.
The Scores:
UP 103 — Pre 30, Briones 14, Remogat 10, Bayla 8, Stevens 8, Ududo 8, Dimaculangan 7, Yñiguez 7, Maga 6, Payosing 5, Alter 0.
UST 101 – Llemit 33, Akowe 23, Cañete 16, Jumawan 9, Acido 7, Buenaflor 6, Porter 4, Esteban 3, Chio 0, Alao 0, Danting 0.
Quarterscores: 26-24, 47-49, 65-72, 86-86, 96-96, 103-101
