UAAP: DLSU-UP bad blood; primed for second encounter

THE WAIT is over for UAAP Season 87 fans, as the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers and the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons will settle some scores from their first-round bout on Sunday, November 10. 

DLSU and UP are preparing for an interesting showdown, fueled by the bad blood they had before the first round of competition, as a result of spitting claims leveled against DLSU head coach Topex Robinson. 

This game, which is expected to be crowded at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, will most likely determine who will lead the standings before moving on to the much-anticipated Final Four.

While both teams are assured of a Final Four spot already, with DLSU first and UP second, the latter has yet to secure a twice-to-beat advantage and might still climb to the top if they get a payback.

Bad blood runs

The two behemoth clubs delivered what the fans wanted in their opening round matchup: a passionate close game between last season’s finalists. The Green Archers won by a score of 68-56 over the Fighting Maroons, who had previously gone unbeaten. 

Given how UP dealt with a championship defeat, the contest was as heated as one could imagine. However, the game ended worse than predicted due to off-court extracurricular conduct. 

DLSU head coach Robinson allegedly spat on UP’s Reyland Torres, which was then disregarded by UAAP management following an investigation, due to a lack of credible evidence supporting UP’s claims.

However, the spitting incident started fire among the Diliman community, with Francis Lopez even threatening the Taft-based squad to prepare when they face again in the second round of elimination. 

On the other hand, La Salle has won three straight games over UP, dating back to their finals series. With the game’s story and importance to both squads, they will undoubtedly be motivated to play.

Bad habits creeping

Before this game, UP suffered a surprising 47-67 loss against the then-last seeded National University (NU) Bulldogs. DLSU defeated Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws 58-53. 

The Fighting Maroons’ bad habits are gradually creeping in, since they have grown accustomed to playing catch-up games in which they are behind and must play all out at the finish. However, the Bulldogs did provide them with a window. 

UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde made no excuses for their disappointing loss last weekend, even praising NU for their defensive mastery, which kept their team prisoner throughout the game.

“Whether we win the game or we lose the game, we always try to find the things to improve on — individually and also as a team. I believe naman na sa mga ganitong klaseng game, it should make us stronger,” he said.

“Kahit sa unang game pa lang, yung mga slow starts na yan [ang problema]. Ang importante lang, when we approach every game, alam namin prepared kami. We should have that mindset to execute on both ends,” he added.

Defensive masterclass

Meanwhile, DLSU battled the Final Four-seeking FEU to the finish of the game. The Taft team avoided a major setback that game thanks to a defensive adjustment led by Mike Phillips.

“We just tried to grind it out with FEU. We know it’s gonna be a fast-paced game so we just tried to keep it simple,” said DLSU head coach Robinson. “We did what we’re supposed to do and that’s to limit their scorers.” 

“We tried to make it a boring game by not outrunning them because it’s gonna be a disaster for us if we did and we just stepped up in the last few minutes of the game,” added the champion coach.

Even though reigning UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao was struggling, shooting only 2-of-17 from the field for eight points, Phillips led the way with 17 points, 15 rebounds, five steals, two blocks, and two assists. 

With DLSU heading in the right path and UP’s bad habits beginning to emerge, this bad blood rematch at 6:30 PM at the Araneta Coliseum will undoubtedly be an exciting fight.