Maroons still searching for a win after dropping close one to Warriors

Another game, another loss for the Fighting Maroons. This one, though, was perhaps the most painful.

With a big chance to snap a 13-game losing streak in sight, the Maroons committed two crucial errors in the end game, allowing University of the East to pull off a 62-57 win in UAAP Season 76 action at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Trailing 57-58 with 90 seconds to go, UP came up with a defensive stop, only to have point guard Henry Asilum called for an eight-second violation. After Roi Sumang split his charities twice, the Maroons had a chance to send the game into overtime, but rookie Jason Ligad stepped on the sideline after receiving the inbounds pass.

It was a sorry loss for the Maroons, who trailed by as many as 11 in the first half but battled back in the second half through the efforts of Raul Soyud, Moriah Gingerich and reserve JR Gallarza, who registered a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Sierra Leone import Charles Mammie threw his full weight around his defenders anew with game-highs of 17 points and 22 rebounds, 12 coming from the offensive glass, but it was the 5-foot-8 Sumang who saved UE from an impending ambush employed by the hard-fighting UP crew.

With the win, the Red Warriors improved to 4-3 while keeping the Fighting Maroons winless after the first round of eliminations.

UP's main gunner Joseph Marata struggled against the Red Warriors’ unforgiving defense, coming up with just three points while making just one of his 18 attempts from the field.

UP thus ended the first round with a 0-7 slate, while UE moved up to 4-3.

The Main Man: Struggling to find his usual offensive groove, Roi Sumang did the damage from the 15-foot line.

The 5-foot-8 Tondo native made just two of his 11 attempts from the field but shot 6-of-10 from the charity stripe, including four in the final minute that provided the marginal points for the Red Warriors.
 
Honorable Mention: Utilizing his heft and advantage to the hilt, Charles Mammie proved too much to handle for the relatively small UP side.

The 6-foot-7 African reinforcement was a genuine force down low, dominating the offensive glass with 12 of his game-high 22 boards.

More importantly, Mammie clogged the lane with ease, making life difficult for UP slashers like Marata and rookie Kyles Lao, who was held scoreless in 12 minutes.
 
Game Turning Point: After falling behind by as many as 24-35, the Fighting Maroons clawed back behind Gallarza and Gingerich in the fourth, even forging a 57-all count with 2:31 to play.

The Red Warriors, however, proved steadier in the crunch, with Adi Santos and Roi Sumang combining for three made charities for a three-point lead with 10.8 seconds to go.

Off a timeout, UP wasted its golden chance to tie the game, with Ligad stepping on the sideline. That led to two made free throws by Sumang, who got the pre-emptive foul from Henry Asilum and iced the game with 7.9 ticks to play.
 
They Said It:
UE coach Boycie Zamar: “Hindi ako happy in the sense that you can’t underestimate anybody. There’s no microwave success. Ito microwave kasi five minutes lang. Honestly, they wanted it that way. Pero mahirap ‘yon. Ipapasok mo sa microwave tapos puputok. Hindi naman popcorn ‘to. Muntik na kami. ‘Yun ang iniiwasan namin.”
 
Charles Mammie: “I’m feeling great. We’re focused and my teammates stepped up.”

UE (62) - Mammie 17, Sumang 10, Santos 8, Casajeros 8, Olivares 7, Noble 4, Jumao-as 3, Alberto 3, Javier 2, Sumido 0, Hernandez 0, Flores 0.

UP (57) - Soyud 10, Gingerich 10, Gallarza 10, Ball 8, Ligad 6, Asilum 5, Marata 3, Wong 2, Paras 2, Pascual 1, Lao 0, Harris 0.
Quarterscores: 17-10, 29-20, 44-42, 62-57