UAAP: Decided UP to only ‘preserve pounding’ for twice-to-beat edge

UP Combating Maroons. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web

MANILA, Philippines—Regardless of having secured a Last 4 spot within the UAAP Season 86 males’s basketball match, the work continues for the College of the Philippines Combating Maroons.

Hold pounding.  That is the Combating Maroons’ battle cry of their bid to lock in a twice-to-beat benefit because the elimination spherical winds down.

UP appeared to march to teach Goldwin Monteverde’s mantra in its dominant 81-64 win over Far Japanese College at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, based on assistant Christian Luanzon.

“Coach Gold reminds his gamers with this factor we name, ‘preserve pounding.’ All all through the sport, he was reminding the gamers that the house run performs received’t be captured with only one pound,” mentioned Luanzon.

That was precisely the blueprint adopted by the Combating Maroons of their drubbing of the Tamaraws.

Regardless of already hitting the bullseye on the half with a 34-27 lead, the Season 85 finalists stored hitting all bases to bury coach Denok Miranda’s squad into Last 4 obscurity.

Whereas it might have been a convincing win for the Diliman aspect, Luanzon reiterated that the goalpost moved a bit farther for the Combating Maroons.

First, it was a positive spot within the Last 4. They achieved that just a few days in the past after defeating College of the East, 79-72. Now, the brand new goal is securing the primary or second seed.

“We’re simply taking this one recreation and apply at a time. We all know what’s at stake and final recreation it clinched our remaining 4 spot. Now, we have now one other purpose,” defined Luanzon.

CALM, COOL AND COMMITTED

UP coach Goldwin Monteverde. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web

To notch what’s at stake, the Combating Maroons should be dedicated to the duty at hand.

Fortuitously for UP’s teaching workers, the gamers have been dedicated since failing to be back-to-back champions final 12 months.

“They’ve been dedicated since January 15. That’s once we began coaching after ending on December 19 final 12 months, so it was simply just about a month off then we had coaching and preseason tournaments,” bared the assistant mentor.

“From a dedication standpoint, they’re there. They’re all the time reminded that it’s greater than the attendance but additionally the psychological half in execution on each ends. Whether or not it’s our units on offense or protection, it requires a excessive stage of focus for these gamers and that’s the dedication they’re displaying on the ground to execute them.”

With simply two video games left to play within the season’s elimination spherical, the dedicated Maroons have a transparent memo.

Like as we speak, UP must preserve pounding to handle enterprise to return to the UAAP’s grandest stage.

“The advantage of our state of affairs is, future’s nonetheless in our fingers so we’ll handle enterprise within the subsequent two video games and the twice-to-beat [advantage] is clearly, no query, the main focus.”