Kevin Quiambao–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Both University of the Philippines (UP) and La Salle talked down Game 1 of their UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament title duel like the result mattered less than what it did on paper.
“Game 1 doesn’t win a championship,” UP coach Goldwin Monteverde said after the Maroons’ 73-65 victory in Sunday’s series opener. “[Part of] the process [toward getting a championship] is to get the Game 1. And [we’ve done that] so we’ll just have to focus on what we need to improve in terms of [our] lapses [during] the game.”
Article continues after this advertisement“The only thing that I told the team [was] there’s a reason why this is a series: you don’t win a championship by winning one game, you need two games,” La Salle coach Topex Robinson said after the Archers lost to the Maroons for the first time since, coincidentally, Game 1 of their title bout last season.
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS NBA: Joel Embiid leads 76ers to victory in return SPORTS NBA: Steph Curry, Warriors get back at Timberwolves SPORTS F1: Lewis Hamilton leaves Mercedes after 6 titles and 246 acesIt could be that the lessons from that championship duel last season watered down the effect of this finale’s opener. After the Maroons won Game 1 of that series—by 30 points, in fact, the Archers stormed back to take the next two games and run away with the crown.
New teamBut as if reading from the same script, both coaches dismissed that slice of UAAP history, too.
Article continues after this advertisement“We don’t look back at the past, that’s done and over with,” Robinson said. “We [know] UP has thought of that as well, that they lost [the series last year after winning] Game 1. We just need to let things go and focus on what we have.”
Article continues after this advertisement“We never dwelled in the past,” Monteverde said. “So right now, as I said, part of the process of winning a championship is winning Game 1. So we got it right now so we’re gonna prepare for Game 2. So we’re gonna do our best, [do] everything that we can to [win] it, and when that game day comes, whatever comes our way, we’re gonna face the challenge there.”
Article continues after this advertisementThere’s a reason why La Salle isn’t putting too much stock on its comeback last season. A lot of the key cogs of that champion team have already left, putting the Archers in a slight disadvantage when it comes to experience in this kind of pressure test.
“The players are different now; we have a younger team,” Robinson said. “The team that played last season is gone and [the players] have moved forward, so we just have to slug it out. We just have to make sure we will give ourselves a chance to win … they did a good job defensively and credit goes to them they really came in prepared.” Robinson said.
Article continues after this advertisementMonteverde, on the other hand, still has players that have been with him in all four Finals appearances of the Maroons.
UP ended a 36-year title drought in Season 84 but lost Season 85 to the Ateneo Blue Eagles before crashing against La Salle in Season 86. In both Finals losses, UP took Game 1.
So maybe there’s a little of those memories that keep the Maroons guarded.
“The series doesn’t end in Game 1,” JD Cagulangan, whose dramatic three-pointer down the wire sealed UP’s Season 84 triumph, said. “We’ll just go back to practice and [expect] that [La Salle] will adjust [to] what we are doing.”
And maybe that comeback last season means something for La Salle after all.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
“We still have a chance. We’ve been in this situation before, we just have to keep on being positive and try to learn from this experience. Again thats a tough team we playedgvg777, we just have to slug it out in the end,” Robinson said. INQ
READ NEXT UAAP Finals: La Salle, UP know nothing is decided yet after Ga... Alas shrugs superstitious worry after doubled court time EDITORS' PICK Siargao island power outage on Day 8; state of calamity pushed This schmick new rooftop bar is bringing Filipino drinking culture to Australia Fuel price adjustment: Gasoline up 40¢/L, diesel down 50¢/L from Dec 10 NBI arrests 3 individuals involved in depleted uranium trade Be careful what you wish for VP Duterte, OVP execs may face plunder raps for secret fund ‘misuse’ MOST READ Comelec: 27 of 66 Senate bets submit social media registration forms Abono party list president gunned down in Pangasinan Chinese vessel hits BFAR ship with laser six times COA: Marcos' office spent over P2B in confidential funds in 2023 Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments