Lucero out with torn ACL

MANILA, Philippines — University of the Philippines’ Zavier Lucero is officially out for Game 3 of the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball finals against Ateneo due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on his left knee.

The camp of the defending UAAP champions yesterday revealed Lucero’s condition ahead of the winner-take-all Game 3 tomorrow following his magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test last Thursday.

The extent of the injury whether it’s a partial or full tear, however, was not disclosed. A full tear would require a year-long recovery period while a partial one could heal up to at least six months.

With the unfortunate development, fans had seen the last UAAP hurrah of the Filipino-American pride in Game 2 last Wednesday as a graduating player for the Fighting Maroons in their back-to-back title bid.

Lucero, originally from California State University Maritime Academy, landed in Diliman earlier this year for two seasons of playing eligibility.

He served as one of the vital cogs in UP’s historic title run last May in Season 84 as the school snapped a 36-year title drough. He’s been a consistent force this season prior to his disastrous injury in the finals.

Lucero willed UP to a 72-66 win in Game 1 behind his 14 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. In Game 2, he had a 6-11-2-1-1 line in 28 minutes of play before going down in a non-contact incident in the 8:31 mark of the fourth quarter.

Limping, hurt and all, Lucero is expected to still be present in the team’s one last battle against rival Ateneo tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to serve as an added motivation as the Fighting Maroons shoot for a rare twin-title feat in 2022.

“I think if he can walk in crutches, he will not miss the opportunity to cheer his teammates on,” UP Fighting Maroons program director Bo Perasol told The STAR.