UAAP: Past heartaches fueling UP Fighting Maroons in Finals return Trending Global News

MANILA, Philippines – The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons got another chance at redemption after finishing runner-up the past two years in a row that still haunts them today.

UP defeated University of Santo Tomas 78-69 with the help of reliable and experienced guards Harold Alarcon and Reyland Torres to reach their fourth consecutive final in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Final Four on Saturday.

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In the school’s fifth finals appearance in six seasons, Torres and Alarcon admitted they are still eager to salvage a heartbreaking finals loss to La Salle last year.

Results: UAAP Season 87 Basketball Final Four November 30

“Maybe the loss we suffered last season was really painful, and we think about it every day during practice and games to use it as motivation,” Torres said. Who scored 13 points, including 3 of 3 from three-point range. And grabbed seven rebounds.

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He added, “Our mentality is to always be prepared, no matter who our opponent is, because that’s what Coach Gould always tells us – give it everything we’ve got and do our best against anybody.”

Alarcon, who poured in eight of his 16 points to lead UP in the fourth quarter, believes that their previous championship losses – including their loss in the Season 85 final against Ateneo – have helped them bring back that crown. Hungry and strong for what they had earned. The Magical Season 84 title will run in May 2022.

UP Fighting Maroons guard Harold Alarcon vs. UST in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Final Four.-UAAP Photo

“Those types of defeats, those setbacks, are a big help to us as a team and as players because that’s where we grow. This is where we learn from our mistakes. This is where our character as a team develops even more,” Alarcon said.

“We are not expecting anything, but we will prepare and be ready for everything that happens in the final. What happened to us in the last two finals as runners-up was painful. Let’s see what happens this season.”

Read: UAAP: UP reaches finals for the fourth time in a row, defeats UST

The fourth-year guard said the tough challenge from UST helped him boost his confidence heading into the finals against the two-time winner of La Salle and Adamson.

“The game was very good because of the tough challenge they gave us. We saw how we reacted to those situations, how we came back strong and played as a team,” Alarcon said. “That experience helped us reach the final. Facing adversity and dealing with things that don’t go our way – how we handle those situations will really help us.

Torres was grateful for that as he scored a timely triple in the third, helping UP gain momentum against UST led by Nick Cabanero and Forthsky Padrigao.

“My shots just happened and I think they gave me confidence,” Torres said. “Coach Gould told me to just believe in myself – if I get an open shot, just take it.”

“It was really tough because, as we know, Forthsky comes from a championship team, and Cabanero is both physical and a scoring leader. “They gave us a good challenge and solid preparation.”