UE Red Warriors vs UP Fighting Maroons

An emotional UE squad let it all out on the court as the Red Warriors drubbed the also-ran UP Fighting Maroons, 68-54, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to end their UAAP Season 74 campaign with a bang. 

Given up for dead even before the season started, the Warriors, who were plagued by the exodus of keys players Paul Lee and Ken Acibar, played with a lot of pride, refusing to end the season as dead-last.

Playing his last game in the UAAP, swingman Biboy Enguio poured 18 points, including nine in the opening period where he rallied the Warriors to tie the game at 18-all after trailing by nine, 11-2, at the start.

He broke into tears after the emotional win as the Warriors wound up seventh with their third win in 14 games, leaving their victim all alone at the cellar at 2-12.

“Hindi ko na napigilan lumuha kanina kasi importante itong game na ito para sa pride namin,” Enguio later told scribes.

“No one believed us to win a single game. But we always fight and find ways to be competitive until the very end,” added first time head coach Jerry Codinera, who was part of the UE’s back-to-back champion team in 1984-85, the school’s last basketball title in the UAAP.

After their big comeback in the first quarter, the Warriors continued to turn on the heat in the second quarter as JM Noble joined the scoring fray, firing nine in an 11-point turnaround.

The Warriors enjoyed several double-digit leads as their defense kept the Maroons at bay all throughout.

Adrian Santos and Noble finished with 12 apiece while Paul Zamar struggled for only four points on 1-of-6 shooting in his last game as a Red Warrior.

“It was a tough season. But I got the win in my last game and that is the most important for me. We never quit in every game even if we’re down,” said Zamar, who was as emotional as Enguio.

The Maroons started out strong behind Migs Maniego and Mike Gamboa, who combined for UP’s first 11 points. But just like what plagued them all season long, the Maroons faded away and gave away the lead.

Migs Maniego and Mark Juruena scored 14 and 12 points, respectively to pace the Maroons, who finished dead-last for the third straight year. – Alder Almo