With the biggest win for a Game 1 at the Finals in UAAP’s Big Four Era, the UP Fighting Maroons made history by dominating the DLSU Green Archers and leaving them with a 30-point deficit.
The record was previously set by UP’s current Finals opponents DLSU back in 1998, after they defeated the FEU Tamaraws 72-47.
Since Season 84, the Fighting Maroons took Game 1 over their adversaries, and this season was no different.
Harold Alarcon, a reliable presence in those first game wins, made his case for finals MVP in Game 1, leading the Fighting Maroons with 21 points, 6/9 FGs, 8 free throws, and 2 assists.
His teammate Francis Lopez was not far behind, garnering 15 points, 3 of 5 from the line, and 11 rebounds (9 defensive).
The Green Archers’ Michael Phillips scored 19 points, 7/11 FGs, 5/9 FTs, 9 rebounds and 2 assists, but it was not enough to bring the Green Archers the win at Game 1.
Fellow Lasallian Kevin “KQ” Quiambao made his mark with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, but a surprisingly disappointing performance for the season MVP frontrunner.
Both teams came out swinging in the 1st quarter, exchanging leads, ending it at 28-24 UP.
The UP Fighting Maroons started off hot courtesy of JD Cagulangan scoring 11 points and 3 assists, including a 3-point buzzer beater to cap the first half.
Meanwhile, UP’s big man Malick Diouf proved to be a presence on the paint with 7 points and 11 rebounds.
Phillips gave the Green Archers 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, with KQ supporting with 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist at the half.
Converting 17 points from DLSU’s 11 turnovers, UP seized their opportunities and closed the first half 53-41.
Coming out of the half, UP showed no signs of stopping with 24 points in the 3rd quarter, closing at 77-55.
With two minutes remaining, the Fighting Maroons were close to sealing the deal at 92-67 and shot 5 more points before the final whistle.
Over their last few Finals appearances, UP’s Game 1 win was shortly upset by a loss at Game 2. Speaking about breaking that trend in the postgame press conference, UP’s head coach
Goldwin Monteverde spoke about emphasizing his players to “concentrate on the present.”
DLSU head coach Topex Robinson gave his thoughts on today’s game, speaking about UP’s “physicality” and said, “we have to be ready that it’s gonna be the same and, at this point, as much as you want to complain about some things, we just want to focus on ourselves. There’s no time for us to cry over spilled milk.”
Will DLSU continue the trend and upset UP at Game 2 on Sunday? Or will the Fighting Maroons break the curse at the expense of the Green Archers to win its fourth UAAP championship?
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