EYES ON THE PRIZE: Fighting Maroons vow to work hard despite semis return

University of the Philippines will not be complacent despite moving a heartbeat away from the twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four of Season 87 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

Fighting Maroons head coach Goldwin Monteverde said they will maintain their intensity as they head into the crucial stretch of the country’s most prestigious collegiate tournament.

After crushing Ateneo de Manila University by 28 points, 74-57, last Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena, the Fighting Maroons are now fashioning a 9-1 card that puts them a win away from clinching the bonus in the semifinals.

De La Salle University is already safely in with a commanding 10-1 mark while the rest of the pack — University of the East, University of Santo Tomas, Adamson University, Far Eastern University and Ateneo — are in wild chase for the last remaining two spots in the Final Four.

Monteverde said the challenge is how they can stay motivated until reaching their goal, which is to regain the title that they lost two years ago.

“Expect us to work harder,” said Monteverde, who dealt American-Kiwi coach Tab Baldwin his worst beating since coaching in the UAAP in 2016.

“If I’m not mistaken, we still have four games left. Each game will be a stepping stone for us to be better. The important thing is for us to be healthy as a team and then, in a way, slowly, we’ll improve.”

Against Ateneo, UP displayed its championship form.

Francis Lopez, who played high school ball for the Blue Eagles, was impressive, dropping 20 points and five rebounds while big man Quentin Millora-Brown punched a double-double performance with 11 points and 10 rebounds to underscore the Fighting Maroons’ dominance on both ends.

Monteverde said they may not be in their championship form yet, but they will use the coming games to regain it until knocking down off the Green Archers’ heads.

“Each player would develop his character while playing,” he said.

“For us, whatever happens, we’ll be ready. We’ll just focus on our upcoming games and how we will adjust. For us, that’s the most important thing.”