MANILA, Philippines — Losing back-to-back games and then having to fend off a tough-fighting FEU Tamaraws is exactly what the UP Fighting Maroons need.
While UP did not want its last three games to turn out the way it did, those matches and its 86-78 win over FEU on Saturday at the FilOil EcoOIl Center just prepared the Final Four-bound Maroons in the homestretch of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.
That is at least according to the eyes of UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde, whose team finally got back on track after losing to NU and defending champ La Salle.
“When you lost back-to-back games and then having this kind of game where you saw that everybody’s really fighting hard and trying to overcome whatever comes our way this game,” said Monteverde.
“As I said, this gets us ready for whatever we’re going to face at the end of the season and you know you also get to face tough challenges in lift right? Whatever circumstance in life, you just have to fight and something good awaits you.”
UP led by as many as 16 points against FEU but the Tamaraws charged back and pulled within three in the final seconds.
JD Cagulangan came to the rescue, though, drilling a triple and two freebies to preserve the win which elevated the Maroons to a 10-3 slate.
UP faces UE for its final assignment of the eliminations on Wednesday.
“We will always prepare for it in the best way that we could and when it comes to that day, we would always demand from ourselves of giving all at both ends,” said Monteverde.
