University of the East faced a major setback in its bid for a fourth straight win against Ateneo de Manila University, with Filipino-American gunner Ethan Galang sidelined due to a knee injury.
His absence was felt most acutely when the Red Warriors found themselves down by 10 points early in the fourth quarter.
Despite the uphill battle, UE began to rally, clawing back with a 14-7 run that trimmed the deficit to just three, 51-54.
The momentum shift was fueled by their determination to stay in the fight, even without one of their lead gunners.
Enter Rainer Maga, whose back-to-back triples – along with a three-pointer by Devin Fikes and a layup from Precious Momowei – sparked a Red Warriors surge.
This 11-point run pushed UE to a comfortable eight-point lead, 62-54, with only 1:44 left on the clock.
Maga credited his clutch performance to the trust placed in him by head coach Jack Santiago and the strong familial bond within the team.
His heroics helped UE snap a nine-year losing streak against Ateneo, dating back to their 74-69 win on November 14, 2015, in the second round of Season 78.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Oo kasi lahat kami family kami ‘eh. Kaya need namin ng support ng each other so kahit wala yung isa, at least meron magste-step up sa amin,” the 23-year-old guard from Davao City shared after the Red Warriors’ 69-62 win over the Blue Eagles on Wednesday night.
“Yung nasa isip ko lang noong two crucial three points ko ay talagang nagtiwala lang ako sa sarili ko at ginawa ko yung best ko, kasi ang laki rin ng tiwala ni coach sa akin.”
After starting the season with two losses to UST and UP, UE has turned things around. It has won four straight, including key victories over reigning champion La Salle and National University.
This brings their record to 4-2, placing them in solo third.
Reflecting on their difficult start, Maga noted that everything is now falling into place for the Red Warriors, as they aim to end a 15-year Final Four drought.
The last time UE made it to the Final Four was in Season 72 in 2009, when players like Paul Lee, Paul Zamar, and Val Acuna led the team to the finals.
“Noong off-season namin, nung nag-start kami nung January, talagang pukpukan na kami sa ensayo. Kasi si coach nag-push talaga sa amin na gawin yung best namin para preparation for the season,” Maga shared.
“Lahat kami may kanya-kanyang tiwala sa mga teammates para makuha namin yung goal namin na makabalik sa Final Four.”
