UP Fighting Maroons need to stay grounded, said Millora-Brown
The UP Fighting Maroons maintain their lead of UAAP Season 87 with a 4-0 record after their victory against the FEU Tamaraws. Despite this impressive start, UP acknowledges that there is still room for growth.
Key recruit Quentin Millora-Brown, who contributed 11 points, 1 assist, and 13 rebounds in their match against FEU, shared that the team is consistently striving to improve with each game.
“I think we’ve just been trying to get better every game. All of us know we have more to reach for. It’s still early; this is only the fourth game. We have a lot more that we want to achieve this season.”
He also emphasized that this win is just one of many the team hopes to secure. The UP squad remains humble despite their undefeated record.
“I think all of us are just trying to stay grounded and understand that this win is only one out of the many we want. So, we’re just continuing to improve and making sure none of us get complacent or lazy.”
Both QMB and Assistant Coach Christian Luanzon mentioned how Head Coach Gold Monteverde preaches consistency as the culture they want to instill in the players.
“I think it’s just that Coach Gold always starts every practice with ‘be consistent today.’ It’s not about having amazing days; it’s about being consistent every single day,” said QMB.
The 6-foot-10 Fil-Am also reiterated that while their execution has been good, their focus needs to be on maintaining consistency across all four quarters.
“Especially in the second quarter, we held them to 7 points. We really executed the defensive game plan, which allowed us to run our offense more effectively. I think we need to replicate that second-quarter intensity every game, every time.”
Coach Luanzon also reflected on their previous game against the UE Red Warriors, noting similarities with their performance against FEU.
“In many ways, this was similar to our game against UE. Maybe not as bad, but after how we started—especially in the first 25 minutes—in the last 15 minutes, we kind of relaxed.”
The UP Fighting Maroons became complacent in the closing minutes of the game, allowing FEU to narrow the point gap.
“I think the scoring reflects that. In our offense, we only produced 14 points in the fourth quarter while allowing them to score 21, their highest in the game. That’s something we’ll definitely need to address.”
The UP Fighting Maroons still have a long way to go, but their strong start is adding to their momentum. Coach Luanzon shared that he believes if they remain consistent throughout all quarters, it will put them in a good position moving forward.
The UP Fighting Maroons will face Adamson University next on Saturday, September 28.
