Maroons seal Final Four entry

MANILA, Philippines — Host University of the Philippines flipped the switch in the homestretch to drub Adamson, 70-59, and punch the second ticket to the Final Four of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Up by just a point, the Maroons, off a two-week break, unleashed a decisive 12-2 run in the final three minutes to break free from the pesky Falcons en route to their sixth straight Final Four appearance with an 8-1 card.

The Maroons followed reigning champion La Salle Archers, who beat them in the finals last year, as the first two teams to get into the post-season play with a bevy of games left to play in the two-round eliminations.

JD Cagulangan regained his groove after his recovery from a hamstring injury, firing a game-high 17 points on top of three rebounds and two steals while slot man Gani Stevens had his best game so far as a Maroon with 10 points after limited action in the previous games.

What Cagulangan and Stevens started was finished by Terrence Fortea and Mark Belmonte with nine points each as well as Gerry Abadiano with seven markers in a scattered UP attack.

“This is a clinching-semifinal game so it’s something that we’re gonna celebrate but at the same time, the goal is the big picture. The goal is to give ourselves an opportunity (for another finals stint),” said deputy coach Christian Luanzon on behalf of chief tactician Goldwin Monteverde as UP replicated a 69-57 win in the first round.

UP, under Monteverde’s watch, has not missed the UAAP semifinals in a stellar run so far marked by three straight finals appearances, and a historic title in Season 84 to snap a 36-year drought.