UAAP: UE destroys hapless UP by 28 points to open new season

Host UE opened UAAP Season 77 with a beatdown of the hapless Fighting Maroons. KC Cruz

UAAP Season 77 host University of the East ushered in the season in style, fashioning out an 87-59 destruction of University of the Philippines on Saturday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

 

Dan Alberto led UE with 15 points, all from beyond the arc.

 

Roi Sumang engaged JR Gallarza and Dave Moralde in a three-point shootout early inthe first, before baskets from Gino Jumao-as and Charles Mammie gave UE a 12-8 lead.

Back to back baskets from Daryl Guiang cancelled out six points from Kyles Lao, as a Dan Alberto halfcourt heave ended the first with UE ahead, 19-16.

 

It was all UE in the second quarter, as the Red Warriors exploded for 26 points while UP struggled for just 10. After another Moralde trey cut the lead to five, 26-21, UE went on a tear, going on a 12-0 run thanks to a string of inside hits and back to back treys from Alberto, 38-21.

UP salvaged three more points in the final minute, but also yielded a pair of Jumao-as drives and another Alberto three. At the half, UE was ahead comfortably, 45-26.

 

The Warriors had their way in the paint in the third, as Jumao-as, Javier, Sumang, and even Mammie converted to erect a 57-33 lead. UE ended the period with a 9-3 run for a 30-point lead after three, 66-36.

 

UP got no reprieve in the payoff period, as Alberto hit another trey, while Arafat and Mark Olayon soard in for dives for a 79-42 edge.

Moralde and Diego Dario finally got back to back baskets for UP, but De Leon hit a pull up at the other end, 81-47. UP responded with a 7-0 run heading into the final two miutes, as a pair more from Dario and Angelo Vito settled the final score, 87-59. - GMA News