‘Laban Lang’: UP Stays Determined After Game 2 Heartbreaker

Photo source: UAAP Media Team

The UP Fighting Maroons find themselves in familiar territory, facing a do-or-die Game 3 after a gut-wrenching 76-75 loss to the De La Salle Green Archers in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 86 Finals. A game marked by intense swings and missed opportunities ended with La Salle’s MVP candidates, Kevin Quiambao and Michael Phillips, delivering clutch plays to seal the win. With the series now tied, UP must regroup to avoid a repeat of their recent Finals heartbreaks.

Despite the setback, the Fighting Maroons are determined to focus on what lies ahead. Speaking after the game, JD Cagulangan and Quentin Millora-Brown highlighted the need for resilience and adjustments.

Cagulangan: “Hindi pa tapos, so laban lang.”

For JD Cagulangan, UP’s Mythical Five-caliber playmaker, the message to the team was simple yet powerful: move forward.

“Sabi ko lang na tapos na yung nangyari, so next game na kami,” said the point guard. “Balik sa ensayo, ano yung lapses, ano ung kailangan pagaralan. Hindi pa tapos, so laban lang.”

The Maroons, who led 73-66 with under five minutes remaining, struggled to close out the game as La Salle finished with a 10-2 run. Cagulangan pinpointed their defensive struggles, particularly against Quiambao and Phillips, the league’s MVP and runner-up, as a key area to address.

“We need to stop KQ. Of course, MVP siya, so nag-MVP mode siya. Siguro next game ma-stop namin siya and of course si Michael Phillips.”

Despite the loss, Cagulangan remains optimistic about their chances in Game 3. “Yeah. Hindi pa tapos. May Game 3 pa, so why not?”

Millora-Brown: “We’re still alive, we’re still playing.”

UP’s one-and-done foreign student-athlete star Quentin Millora-Brown echoed Cagulangan’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of a quick mental reset.

“I said this in the locker room: the moment we step out of the doors, that game is over,” shared the veteran center. “We missed a lot of opportunities to win it, but that’s okay, we’re still alive, we’re still playing.”

Millora-Brown highlighted UP’s need to manage pressure situations better, particularly in the final moments of the game.

“For us, it’s time and score. Understanding where we are and not rushing. Especially in that fourth quarter, we rushed too much as La Salle was coming back. But if we can manage that just a little bit better, I think we’re right there.”

He also showed unwavering confidence in rookie Francis Lopez, who struggled down the stretch with missed free throws, a turnover, and a defensive lapse.

“Absolutely, absolutely,” Millora-Brown affirmed when asked if Lopez could bounce back.

UP’s Road to Redemption

Game 3 is not just another game for UP. After winning Game 1 in the past two Finals only to lose the next two, the Maroons are motivated to break the cycle. Their last championship came in Season 84, and the expectation to deliver will be there.

La Salle’s dynamic duo of Quiambao and Phillips proved to be decisive in Game 2, combining for crucial plays in the dying moments. To emerge victorious in the finale, UP will need to execute better and find a way to contain the league’s top two MVP candidates, as explained by their own MVP candidate.

As Cagulangan and Millora-Brown expressed, the fight is far from over. For the Fighting Maroons, Game 3 offers the ultimate test of their resilience and resolve.