UAAP: UP seeks repeat over UST as second round begins

University of the Philippines’ Rey Remogat against University of Santo Tomas in UAAP Season 89. UAAP Media.MANILA — University of the Philippines hopes to replicate its first-round conquest of University of Santo Tomas as UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball enters its second round on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Head coach Goldwin Monteverde looked back on the first round, when the Fighting Maroons closed out with a three-game winning streak to finish with a 5-2 record.

Their back-to-back losses to National University and Far Eastern University served as a wake-up call for UP to improve as a team.

“Lahat naman siguro ng natatalo namin, part na rin ng growth namin ‘yan. Lahat yon, for me, good or bad; it’s still a learning experience for the team, which we need naman towards the second round,” said Monteverde.

The Fighting Maroons, who defeated the Growling Tigers, 92-85, in the season opener on September 13, are tied with the Bulldogs atop the standings, although NU finished the first round as the top-ranked team.

UST, meanwhile, is locked in a three-way tie with Adamson University and FEU for third to fifth places at 4-3. The three teams hold a one-game lead over joint sixth-placers De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University, both at 3-4, in the race for the last Final Four berth.

“Siguro, alam na namin yung gagawin namin at kailangan din namin lalo na sa training. Kasi, pagdating ng second round, iba na yun eh. Ibang usapan na yun, magiging prepared lang din kami,” said Mark Llemit, who forms part of the Growling Tigers’ trio alongside Nigerian big man Collins Akowe and Amiel Acido.

Gelo Crisostomo, who has played only two games this season before suffering a right knee injury, hopes to return for the 5:30 p.m. clash against UP as UST pursues a third consecutive Final Four appearance. His return would also reunite him with Akowe on the court.

As the Fighting Maroons aim for a sixth straight Final Four appearance, James Payosing stressed the importance of maintaining their unity and focus as the second round gets underway.

“Yun yung pinakaimportante, yung energy namin na buo kami. Susuporta kami sa bawat isa for this coming second round. Hindi magiging madali ‘yon. Kaya pinapractice namin na hindi maging sensitive at kailangan naming kausapin ang bawat isa sa mga kahinaan namin at kailangan pagtrabahuhin,” Payosing said.

Nigerian big man Dikachi Ududo, who proved to be a difference-maker during UP’s winning streak, is eager to go head-to-head with Akowe in the paint.

Meanwhile, the Green Archers hope to turn things around as they pursue back-to-back titles after finishing the first round at 3-4, their first losing record at that stage since Season 85 in 2022.

La Salle faces a challenging matchup against University of the East, which has shown signs of improvement despite enduring another winless first round.

The Green Archers and the Red Warriors collide at 3 p.m.

UE is looking to avoid becoming the first team to lose 28 consecutive games since Adamson University endured a 35-game losing streak from 1999 to 2002.

In their recent outings, the Red Warriors gave both the Falcons and the Fighting Maroons a tough challenge before eventually losing, signaling progress under interim coach Paolo Hubalde.

Meanwhile, the women’s division features a busy slate with four games at the bayside Pasay arena.

Defending champion UST looks to move closer to completing a first-round sweep when it takes on La Salle at 8 a.m., while FEU seeks to regain its winning form against UE at 10 a.m.

NU stakes its hold on second place against UP at noon, while Adamson aims to extend its winning streak to four games when it faces Ateneo at 7:30 p.m.