UP's Lucero proud of teammates' gallant stand vs Ateneo in Game 3
MANILA, Philippines — For Zavier Lucero, the UP men's basketball team lived up to its moniker of "Fighting Maroons" in their UAAP Season 85 campaign.
Though they fell short of retaining the title, Lucero and the rest of the Maroons came out with gritty performances even when they were struggling.
In Game Three of the finals, the Maroons fought back from 20 points down to get within three points, 67-70, with 20 ticks left in the game against the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Forced to watch from the sidelines in Game Three due to an ACL tear, Lucero lauded his teammates for putting up a tough fight against the eventual champions.
"I think the way our guys fought today speaks volumes to the character of our team," Lucero said after the game on Monday.
"You know, it's really easy to lay down when you're down by 20 to start the second half. So big props to the guys that were on the floor and to our whole team for sticking with it and showing the heart we've shown time and time again," he added.
But the two-and-through forward admitted that it was difficult to be stuck watching while UP failed in its mission to secure another title.
"Yeah, it sucks for sure," Lucero said.
Despite the loss, UP had a moment late in the game when Lucero checked in for one last time with 0.7 left in the contest.
The Ateneo bench was whistled for a technical foul after storming the court prematurely for their championship celebrations.
This allowed Lucero to get to the charity stripe and get one more point for the Maroons before he moved on in his career, to the delight of the UP crowd.
"I was just happy to be able to step on the court one more time. I didn't like the way that I thought I was gonna leave things so, the plan was whether we were gonna win or gonna lose, I did wanna check in for one last time and just to hear the support from the crowd and the UP community," said Lucero, who received cheers as he entered the game.
"It warmed my heart for sure. That's something I'm gonna remember for the rest of my life too. Yeah, I'm just glad I made it," he quipped.
Lucero is expected to undergo surgery for his ACL injury before considering options for his pro career. He played two seasons for the Maroons, which ended up with a championship and a runner-up finish.
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