Maroons to fight on with next-man-up mentality

MANILA, Philippines — With or without Zavier Lucero, an embattled University of the Philippines squad promises a relentless fight to the finish in a bid to keep the crown in Diliman.

Still waiting for word on the injury of the versatile forward, the Fighting Maroons are bracing as if they will not be with Lucero when they lock horns with rivals Ateneo Blue Eagles one last time for the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball crown on Monday.

“The road to our final goal may have encountered some bumps but the mindset is the same – win it all the way. With or without Zav, the responsibility of winning goes to the next man,” UP basketball program director Bo Perasol told The STAR.

Lucero underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test on Thursday after a left knee injury late in UP’s 65-55 Game 2 loss Wednesday night that foiled UP’s bid to sweep the title series following a 72-66 Game 1 win.

The 6-foot-6 Filipino-American standout went down on his own in a scary, non-contact situation and grimaced in pain holding on to his left knee and being carried out of the court in the 8:31 mark of the fourth quarter.

Multiple reports have already ruled Lucero’s injury as an ACL tear, a gruesome injury needing a year to recover. But Perasol at press time shot it down.

“Opinion pa lang ng iba yun. Kasi hindi pa nag binigay ng findings ‘yung medical team,” said Perasol.

Now, all UP can do is hope and pray for the overall best status of Lucero more than his finals availability in three days as the spirited Fighting Maroons try defend the title in the winner-take-all Game 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.