University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons head coach Goldwyn Monteverde views their hard-fought 67-64 victory over the De La Salle University Green Archers as a valuable learning experience for the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament.
Monteverde, who is a one-time UAAP champion coach, believes that the closely contested match is advantageous for his team’s progress, considering the mix of rookie and veteran players on the roster.
“For the team, every game, whether manalo kami nang malaki or close, we always take that as a learning experience, especially since the team is a mix of seniors and young guys,” Monteverde said.
“Against La Salle, we started medyo flat on both ends nung first half. Ang difference para sa akin nung first and second half would be ‘yung defense namin was much better,” he added.
In the first half, the Green Archers held control of the match, establishing a lead of as much as 13 points. However, the Fighting Maroons initiated a turnaround by outscoring their opponents 21-3 in the third quarter.
The Fighting Maroons were leading 59-50, but the Green Archers launched a comeback, tying the score at 63-all. UP clinched the victory with crucial plays from Gerry Abadiano and Reyland Torres.
UP will have the opportunity to complete a first-round sweep in the eliminations as they meet the defending champions, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, on Sunday afternoon, setting the stage for a rematch of the UAAP Season 85 finals.
The post Coach Gold: Narrow victory over DLSU, a valuable learning experience for UP first appeared on Fastbreak.
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