2013-2014 OFF-SEASON UPDATES

Altas slay Warriors, keep streak alive
By Rick Olivares (philstar.com) | Updated May 5, 2014 - 5:54pm
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MANILA, Philippines -- The University of Perpetual Help Altas caught a big fish in the University of the East Red Warriors following a 83-78 victory in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup Monday at the San Juan Arena.

The Altas, making no bones about their playing All-Filipino, relentlessly harassed and double-teamed the Red Warriors for the entire match. Their efforts saw them net 30 fastbreak and six turnover points to UE’s paltry 12 markers for the entire game.

The Altas’ Juneric Baloria and Justine Alano set the tone at the start of the match by clamping down on UE’s one-two punch of Roi Sumang and Charles Mammie on the defensive end. Sumang didn’t score a point until the 4:59 mark of the second period due to the tight guarding of Baloria while the 6’2” Alano outscored the 6’7” Mammie 9-7 in the first half.

UE took a slim 36-34 lead heading into the half but the Altas quickly overhauled it and matched the Red Warriors basket for basket. Harold Arboleda hit a triple at the end of the third quarter buzzer for a 59-58 lead Perpetual Help would not relinquish.

The Altas posted a game high nine-point lead, 82-73 with 55 seconds to play after a fastbreak layup by Alano. But UE had one last run in them as they cut the deficit down to four, 82-78, after two Sumang freethrows. But Gabriel Daganon pulled down a crucial offensive rebound and added a free throw for the marginal point as UE committed a turnover at the end game.

Three Altas scored at least 20 points with Juneric Baloria, Justine Alano, and Harold Arboleda notching 28, 26, and 20 points respectively.
Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

UE was led by Sumang’s 16 points. Pedrito Galanza added 15 while the Red Warriors African duo of Charles Mammie and Moustaph Arafat recorded 13 and 10 points respectively.

The Altas’ third win put them atop the Group A standing ahead of idle Lyceum of the Philippines University that is 2-0 and La Salle that is 1-0. UE dropped to 0-2.

The Scores:

UPHDS 83 – Baloria 28, Alano 26, Arboleda 20, Thompson 8, Daganon 1, Gallardo 0, Dizon 0, Sadiwa 0, Oliveria 0, Jolangcob 0, Bantayan 0, Cabiltes 0.

UE 78 – Sumang 16, Galanza 15, Mammie 13, Arafat 10, Javier 8, Caparida 6, Palma 4, Jumao-as 2, Varilla 0, Hernandez 0, De Leon 0.

from the account of Rick Olivares the team needs a lot of adjustment in offense and DEFENSE !!!. ALTAS defense cause a lot of turnovers (trapping defense, backcourt pressure etc). allowing the 3 scoring machine Baloria, Alano & Arboleda firing at will our defense is big suspect at the moment. I hope the team will play together as a cohesive unit come UAAP Season. Sana hindi larong mayaman in our future FILOIL Games. Lets go for the WIN next time !!!

red_engr wrote:Perpetual Help stays unscathed, keeps defending champion UE winless

UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help romped to its third straight victory and kept defending champion University of the East winless in the 2014 FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup on Monday at The Arena in San Juan.

Reigning NCAA Rookie of the Year Juneric Baloria came up with 28 points as the Altas won, 83-78, over the Red Warriors.

Justine Alano added 25 and Harold Arboleda chipped in 20, including five triples, for the Altas, who are unbeaten in three games and are alone on top in Group A.

“Sinasabi kasi ko walang star sa team,” said Perpetual Help coach Aric del Rosario. “Pare-pareho ang score namin, kalat-kalat, lahat gumagawa kaya maganda ang takbo ng team.”

Alano noted they are motivated to work hard, especially against teams reinforced by foreign players.

“Lahat kasi kami gusto manalo, walang petiks sa amin at motivation namin na all-Filipino kami, wala kaming import,” said Alano.

Roy Sumang finished with 16 points, Pedrito Galanza added 15, Leonean import Charles Mammie chipped in 13 and Cameroonian reinforcement Moustapha Arafat contributed 10 for UE.

It was the second loss in two outings for the Red Warriors, who fell to the La Salle Green Archers, 62-69, in their opening game.

The scores:

UPHSD 83 - Baloria 28, Allano 26, Arboleda 20, Thompson 8, Dagangon 1, Gallardo 0, Dizon 0,, Sadiwa 0, Oliveria 0, Jolangcob 0, Bantayan 0, Cabiltes 0

UE 78 - Sumang 16, Galanza 15, Mammie 13, Arafat 10, Javier 8, Caparida 6, Palma 4, Charcos 4, Jumao-as 2, Varilla 0, Hernandez 0, De Leon 0

Quarterscores: 17-17; 34-36; 59-58; 83-78.

source - spin.ph

pare-pareho ng score? nino, ng starters? walang ibang umiskor tingin ko kundi puro starters... napaka "balanced" nila... ahahaha...

red_engr wrote:from the account of Rick Olivares the team needs a lot of adjustment in offense and DEFENSE !!!. ALTAS defense cause a lot of turnovers (trapping defense, backcourt pressure etc). allowing the 3 scoring machine Baloria, Alano & Arboleda firing at will our defense is big suspect at the moment. I hope the team will play together as a cohesive unit come UAAP Season. Sana hindi larong mayaman in our future FILOIL Games. Lets go for the WIN next time  !!!

Larong mayaman... pumasok nanaman sa isip ko si Joseph Yeo at ang famous line nya... hehehe...



Asan na ang bagsik ni Jumao-as? Nakow di ko ata sya naririnig lately ah...

Anyare? Nagcocollapse na naman pagdating sa dulo.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The UE Red Warriors in Filoil tourney thus far
by rick olivares

The UE Red Warriors have been struggling in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup in defense of their crown.

They are 0-2 and their next assignments in the elimination round do not look any easier – JRU and University of San Carlos, University of Visayas and Southwestern University all in Cebu.

Of course, the goal is ultimately the UAAP as the summer is used for assessing players as well as implementing the system and philosophies of new head coach Derrick Pumaren. However, even without the summer done, the problems of the Red Warriors though many can be attributed mainly to one thing – a lack of capable support for Roi Sumang and the two-headed monster of Charles Mammie and Moustaph Arafat.

They lost some players to graduation who were more than capable of putting that ball in the basket –
Ralf Olivares: 6.8ppg in Filoil;  11.4ppg in UAAP
Lord Casajeros: 5.6ppg in Filoil;  6.5ppg in UAAP
JM Noble: 6.0ppg in Filoil;  6.4ppg in UAAP
Adrian Santos 6.4ppg in Filoil;  4.4ppg in UAAP

JR Sumido was supposed to be in that bunch but his confidence and game went somewhere only Roy Hibbert knows (from 7.7ppg in Filoil to 2.2 in UAAP).

Charles Mammie averaged 14.2ppg in Filoil and raised it a bit to 15.5 points for his team in the UAAP.

If you noticed, the Red Warriors’ main men mostly saw their points average go up except for Santos and Sumido. What happened to them on their way to a failed Final Four bid is another story altogether.

Nevertheless, collectively that’s a combined 28.7 points from Olivares, Casajeros, Noble and Santos (in the UAAP) that Arafat, Gino Jumao-as, Dan Alberto, and their host of newcomers need to fill in. The players who also graduated were beasts on the defensive end so they played both ends of the floor giving former head coach Boycie Zamar some much-needed stops.

From what we have seen so far, there’s no one to keep the defense from playing honest. We’ve seen Mammie double or triple-teamed. Opponents have used a taller defender on Sumang to some success. As for Arafat, he likes to beat his man off the dribble. I’d say he’s better on the break than a half-court set.

The loss of Olivares and Casajeros is huge because both do not only score and shoot (in the clutch too) but they can also put the ball on the floor and create. It now falls on Gino to replicate that but I haven’t seen that coming from him in UE’s new offense.

Let’s compare the 2013 & 2014 campaigns in Filoil for UE offensive-wise and look at how they developed for the UAAP.

2013 OFFENSE Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup
Team
Pts
FB Pts
2nd Chance Pts
FG%
FT attempts/game
3PTs
Assists
UE
78.5
12.1
11.1
40%
17.4
53-237
13.6
Opponent
68.4
10.9
9.3
35%
14.1
57-252
14.5

2013 OFFENSE UAAP
Team
Pts
FB Pts
2nd Chance Pts
FG%
FT attempts/game
3PTs
Assists
UE
74.4
9.1
10.7
37.8%
24.6
72-285
11.4
Opponent
75.8
10.4
11.1
39.6%
13.5
96-326
16.4

2014 OFFENSE Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup
Team
Pts
FB Pts
2nd Chance Pts
FG%
FT attempts/game
3PTs
Assists
UE
70.0
17.0
14.5
40%
21
6-39
13.5
Opponent
76.0
35.5
15.0
41%
25
11-35
17.0




Now let’s compare the 2013 & 2014 campaigns in Filoil for UE defensive-wise and look at how they developed for the UAAP.

2013 DEFENSE Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup
Team
Rebounds
Steals
Blocks
Turnovers
UE
51.1
4.0
4.8
20.7
Opponent
45.5
3.5
5.1
23.2

2013 DEFENSE UAAP
Team
Rebounds
Steals
Blocks
Turnovers
UE
47.4
4.0
4.4
16.3
Opponent
45.8
3.5
5.1
17.3

2014 DEFENSE Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup
Team
Rebounds
Steals
Blocks
Turnovers
UE
41.5
4.0
4.0
18.0
Opponent
42.5
3.5
1.5
18.0


Thus far, this is how UE’s main men are doing:

Roi Sumang –  (2 games) 15.5 ppg
Charles Mammie – (1 game) 13.0 ppg
Moustaph Arafat – (2 games) 11.0 ppg
Peds Galanza – (2 games) 11.0 ppg


I’ve already pointed out the lack of additional scoring options and creative players has allowed opponents to key their defense on Roi.

The other problem is on the defensive end. In the two matches thus far, they’re getting killed on the boards and giving up an average of 35 fastbreak points!

That’s a lot. Way too much in fact. They need to hustle back on defense.

Coach Derrick has been moving players around to find a line-up/combination that works. If UE is going to play any better this year, they will need Gino Jumao-as, Chris Javier, Ivan Hernandez, Mark Olayon, and Dan Alberto to play solid. It would be too much to ask Roi Sumang or even Charles Mammie/Moustaph Arafat to carry the load.

I know they are trying to use Dan as a back up to Roi so they have some quarterbacking and outside shooting for the second unit but what if the former ran the point while Roi moved to the shooting guard slot? I know they are giving up size there. That means Mark Olayon and Chris Javier will have to move around somewhat. Maybe Chris at the five then Moustaph at the four so he could use his speed in going after the corner shooters.

Yes, it’s the pre-season and it’s a little early to give an accurate assessment on how they will do. But the problems are too obvious. If Coach Derrick had a few more months he could have possibly brought in some help. Right now, this is what they have. They’ll have to live and die with this team.


Hey, Mario Bonleon… if you stayed then you’d have all the playing time you want.



--------------------------------

Here's to my bud CHARLES MAMMIE. Sorry for the last piece. Wishing you and your team all the best, bud. And for Roi Sumang…. one of the best pound-for-pound players in college ball. Hey, Chris… this is the YEAR! Your time. Your time.



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i loved the way rick is rubbing it in to mario... lol

Haha boom panes! di kasi makapagantay eh.

Nice observation by Rick Olivares.

Sana wag bigyan ng release ng UE. Hehehe!

Save the dates guys!

July 12 (Araneta) – 2 p.m. UE vs UP, 4 p.m. DLSU vs. FEU
July 13 (Araneta) – 2 p.m. Ateneo vs. Adamson, 4 p.m. NU vs. UST
July 16 (MOA) – 2 p.m. UST vs UE, 4 p.m. Adamson vs. FEU
July 19 (Araneta) – 2 p.m. NU vs. UP, 4 p.m. DLSU vs. Ateneo
July 20 (MOA) – 2 p.m. Adamson vs. UE, 4 p.m. FEU vs. UST
July 23 (Araneta) – 2 p.m. Ateneo vs. UP, 4 p.m. NU vs. DLSU
July 26 (Araneta) – 2 p.m. UST vs. Adamson, 4 p.m. UE vs. DLSU
July 27 (MOA) – 2 p.m. UP vs. FEU, 4 p.m. Ateneo vs. NU
July 30 (MOA) – 2 p.m. FEU vs. UE, 4 p.m. Adamson vs. NU
August 2 (Araneta) – 2 p.m. UP vs. UST, 4 p.m. DLSU vs. Adamson
August 3 (Araneta) – 2 p.m. NU vs. UE, 4 p.m. FEU vs. Ateneo
August 6 (Araneta) – 2 p.m. UP vs. DLSU, 4 p.m. Ateneo vs. UST
August 9 (MOA) – 2 p.m. Adamson vs. UP, 4 p.m. NU vs. FEU
August 10 (MOA) – 2 p.m. UE vs. Ateneo, 4 p.m. DLSU vs. UST

BASKETBALL
UAAP
UAAP board recommends stop to recruitment of foreign players starting in 2015
From: Reuben TerradoMay 13, 2014, 06:28 pm

UAAP board recommends stop to recruitment of foreign players starting in 2015
UST's Karim Abdul is just one of several foreign players in the league roster. Jerome Ascano
THE UAAP will stop recruiting foreign players as early as 2015 once a rule change recommended by the league’s board is approved by heads of the eight member schools.

Rod Roque of host University of the East, speaking for the league in his capacity as UAAP secretary treasurer, said the board has submitted an amendment to the league rules halting the recruitment of foreign student athletes by next year.

“We are moving into stopping the recruitment of foreign players,” said Roque on Tuesday during the weekly PSA Forum at the Shakey’s Malate branch. “Eventually, there will be no foreign players in the UAAP.”

Roque, however, clarified that foreign players that are currently undergoing residency will still be allowed to play even when the rule change is already in place.

[See Ban on foreign players imminent as league officials reach consensus]

In the past, each UAAP team is allowed to have two foreigners in its lineup playing one at a time. Foreigners are also required to sit out for two years before being eligible to play.

At present, all UAAP member schools have a foreign player, almost all of African descent, either in the lineup or taking up residency.

Roque said the UAAP decided to enforce the ban to give more local athletes a chance to compete in the collegiate league while at the same time levelling the playing field.

“We want to give chances to the Filipino (athlete). Sila dapat ang nag-bebenefit doon sa nakukuha ng foreigner. That is why we would like to level the playing field,” Roque said.

Roque also said maintaining a foreign player has become tedious for the schools, beginning with the process of proving and verifying their eligibility.

“’Yung eligibility nila, ‘yung mga papers nila, kailangan mo pa na ipadala sa embassy nila. It’s so expensive to maintain a foreign player,” Roque said.

Roque said the ban on foreign players is one of the amendments that will be up for approval by the presidents of the eight member schools when they meet sometime this month.

Roque declined to reveal the other changes but informed sources told Spin.ph that the residency period for high school graduates transferring to another UAAP school is set to be decreased from two to one year in Season 78.

Spin.ph has also learned that the commissioner will be given more power to run the affairs of the tournament with the board no longer getting involved in game-related decisions.

Roque said that the amendments will be for the benefit all of those involved in the league.

“Eighty percent ng rules na in-amend namin. But rest assured that it will be better for the league,” said Roque.

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News from Dindo Pumaren, nakausap siya ng tatay ni Kumagcow ang head admin ng RT Site. Magkakilala kasi ang tatay ni Kumagcow at si Pilomeno kasi yung tatay ni Kumagcow ay former Red Warrior at former Red Spiker.

Nagrerecruit daw ang DLSU ng 2 african import.

Malamang ihahabol nila sa residency period bago maipasa ang foreign players ban. Kasi may loophole sa rule change na pwede maglaro ang mga import basta nagreresidency na sila.

Residency period 2 yrs from 2014: 2015-2016, will play on 2017

Maximum of 5 playing yrs: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

So yr 2022 pa pala natin makikita ang epekto ng import ban.

Galing kahit anong rules may lusot sa pilipinas.

49-38, UE leads at the end of the 1st half

Sumang and Arafat for And-1 plays, Arafat with 2 monster blocks, Arafat doing the pointguard chores, Arafat is everywhere! 62-45 Ue

earlier arafat with a ffup dunk!

UE on a roll at the end of the 3rd Qtr, 78-53

Mammiiieeeee with two consecutive monster dunks! 88-64 UE

Mukhang nakukuha na nila system ni Manong Derek, may video ka ice ng mga dunks or highlights ng game?

FilOil: Warriors slay Heavy Bombers, claim first win

By AARON VALDEZMay 17, 2014 2:37pm

The University of the East Red Warriors bagged their first win in the FilOil Flying V-Hanes Premier cup by crushing the Jose a Rizal University Heavy Bombers 99-78, on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Moustapha Arafat and Charles Mammie were the obvious difference in this game, particularly Arafat who set the tone defensively, helping his team force 31 turnovers and hold their opponents to just a 30 percent field goal percentage with his gangly, dogged defense. Mammie made sure the cushion remained above 20 points in the fourth, as the Warriors prevented any comebacks the resilient Heavy Bombers tried to stage.

Bong Galanza led all scorers with 17 points, while Arafat and Mammie had 16 points apiece while combining for 15 rebounds, three steals, and four blocks in a combined 38 minutes of play. Gino Jumao-As tallied 12 while Roi Sumang chipped in with 10, despite spending the entire fourth quarter in the bench. The Red Warriors shot 52 percent from the field, making 35-of-67.

Derrick Pumaren, who was named UE's head coach earlier this year, said that their practices are paying off in the tournament. "I think we had a good practice. It's already been a month. It's a work in progress and slowly but surely, they adopt the system. Our target is really the UAAP, we cannot get used to losing," he said.

"Parehas kami ng sistema kaya nakuha yung panalo namin ngayon dahil sa practice," concurred Roi Sumang.

Both squads held a defensive clinic from the get-go, hustling for loose balls and playing rugged defense. The Red Warriors managed to get considerable separation after four quick points off turnovers from Alberto and Palma, 18-7. The Heavy Bombers' long shots weren't falling and they harvested little from the stripe as they trailed 24-13 after the first frame.

Two fast break baskets augmented the lead as the UE distanced themselves by 13, 27-14. But four straight from Jordan de La Paz, and a shift in the defensive scheme to a full court press jumpstarted an 11-1 run for JRU as they trimmed the lead to just three points, 28-25. The Red Warriors responded by going on an 8-2 run after a timeout, and Arafat bothered JRU's paint production with his length as the Red Warriors held a 49-38 advantage after the first half.

Arafat already had 10 points, five rebounds, and a block by the half, flanked by Bong Galanza with eight and Jumao-as with seven. The Red Warriors grabbed 25 boards as a unit and scored 11 points off turnovers.

Michael Mabulac tallied 15 points while Philip Paniamogan chimed in with six. The Heavy Bombers struggled mightily from the field, making only 30 percent of their shots.

The Red Warriors went on an 11-2 surge early in the third, dumping 18 points on the Heavy Bombers and forced JRU coach Vergel Meneses to call a timeout, 58-40. Arafat continued to be a pest defensively, disrupting passing lanes, bothering shots, and swatting attempts within five feet of the basket. The game was turning into a blowout as the Red Warriors pushed the lead to 25 after a free throw by Charles Mammie, 78-53, an advantage they carried to the fourth quarter.

The beatdown continued in the fourth, as Mammie picked up where Arafat had left off. UE's ball handlers coursed the offense through Mammie at every possible opportunity and the Sierra Leonean center took advantage, throwing down consecutive rim rockers in a span of 30 seconds as his side led 88-64. As the clock read 2:30, both teams had emptied their benches and the Red Warriors went home with the W, 99-78.

Mabulac scattered 19 points in a losing effort, while Paniamogan and Rich Marticio had 12 and 10 points respectively. The Heavy Bombers were beaten in every aspect of the game, except in the assists department where they dished 19 to the Warriors' 17.

The Red Warriors (1-2) look to add another W as they visit Cebu to face the University of San Carlos Warriors (1-2) at 3 PM on May 23 at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex. The Heavy Bombers (3-2) will face the UPHSD Altas (4-1) next Wednesday at 4 PM. - JDL, GMA News


The scores:
UE 99 - Galanza 17, Arafat 16, Mammie 16, Jumao-As 12, Sumang 10, Javier 8, Palma 6, Albertp 4, Guiang 4, Olayon 4, Charcos 4, Cudal 2, Varilla 0, De Leon 0, Caparida 0, Pillas 0

JRU 78 - Mabulac 19, Paniamogan 12, Marticio 10, Asuncion 9, De La Paz 8, Teodoro 6, Benavides 4, Benemerito 2, Salaveria 2, Abdulwahab 1, Nunez 1, Lasquety 0, Sanchez 0, Astilla 0, Guiron 0

@syadaker yup meron na akong pinost na dunks ni mamiie at arafat sa Red Tribe FB Fan Page [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Post ko dito later yung summary of highlights

DELETED POST

Just click for the highlights of the UE vs JRU game:

Charles Mammie one of two dunks

Moustapha Arafat's follow-up dunk!

Renz Palma soaring high for a lay-up

Try ko tapusin yung full game highlights later

^ Nice, thank you ice.

OT:

"Zamar says they can only rely on heart as Gems take on unbeaten Road Warriors in semis" - spin.ph

--------------------

Yon o puso nanaman ang panlaban ni Coach Zamar. Hahaha!

The Red Warriors won over the USC Warriors earlier, 76-68
(c/o UE Official)

Learning to fly: UE survives an edgame rally by USC
by rick olivares

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With a minute and 58 seconds left in the first period, Charles Mammie botched a two-handed dunk that left the Mandaue Sports Complex chorusing in unison, “ooohhh.”

“Damn!” yelled the University of the East’s center from Sierra Leone.

“Forget about it, Charles,” intoned UE head coach Derrick Pumaren who waved his players to get back on defense. “It’s over. Get back and play defense.”

For the young UE Red Warriors, the game against the University of San Carlos Warriors at the Mandaue Sports Complex will eventually be forgotten. But for this college basketball season, the match will serve a larger purpose.

For much of the fourth period, Roi Sumang was on the bench (he was being conserved), Charles Mammie and Chris Javier were in foul trouble (they eventually fouled out one after the other), and Moustapha Arafat didn’t return for the entire second half after he pulled up lame.

When the fourth period started, the score stood at 69-45 for the Red Warriors. Pumaren started Mark Olayon who had his first taste of game action, young frontliners Doods Pillas and Zyron Cudal, Gino Jumao-as, and Sumang.

The immediately pressed and Jumao-as managed to poke the ball away from USC’s Glennson Ybanez. Jumao-as picked up the ball and threw a two-handed forward pass to a streaking Olayon.

Olayon who has blown hot and cold this pre-season corralled the ball, too a step then dribbled (he wasn’t called for traveling) then cradled the ball in one arm then rose up in the air. He tomahawked it home against two USC Warriors – center Espoir Toyambi and forward Ian Ortega who both elected not to attempt to block the shot.

UE’s bench rose in unison cheering. Pumaren pumped his fist. The Cebuano crowd applauded. “Damn,” yelled a buoyant Mammie who slapped hands with Olayon. “That was some dunk.”

The score stood at 71-45, a game high 26-point lead for UE.

Just when it seemed that the Warriors were headed for another blowout loss, they found a spark of life. Aided by a lack of an intimidating center inside for UE plus some questionable officiating, the once mighty lead quickly evaporated.

After Olayon’s moonwalk, Toyambi inspired a 12-1 run that cut the lead to 15, 72-57.

Jumao-as, who didn’t score but tallied two rebounds, five assists, and one block, found an wide open Dan Alberto who rifled home a triple to stop the bleeding.

But USC had one more run in them as this time, it was Shooster Olago who rose the crest of the wave. At the 3:48 mark, Olago finished off his own death-defying dunk after UE’s Bong Galanza turned the ball over. Olago’s stuff wasn’t counted because of an earlier foul. But after Dan Alberto telegraphed a pass that Olago intercepted, he was cleared for take off. His massive jam pegged the score at 75-66 and got the whole arena rocking for the home team that had taken it on the chin all game long.

UE called time and Moustapha Arafat, unable to help his team because of a minor injury, seethed and gave Olago dagger looks. But he never went back in as Pumaren kept an unusual five of Sumang, Paul Varilla (who has been starting of late), Cudal, Daryll Guiang, and Jumao-as on the floor. “I will need other to step up during the UAAP season,” later explained Pumaren. “There will be games where my starters will be in foul trouble or unavailable. This is a good way to test my young players.”

After Olago’s slam, UE would score only one more point (they finished with a measly seven points in the fourth period). The power outage was shocking to say the least. But a win is a win as they say. The Red Warriors beat the Warriors, 76-68, for their second consecutive win in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup to go to 2-2. USC, already out of the running for a quarterfinals berth in the competition, dropped to 1-4.

The Red Warriors are still learning to play together after being under Pumaren for only a month and a half. Last season, their battle cry after breaking a huddle was, “Warrior ako!”

This year, it’s “Defense!”

In the press conference at the Sarrosa International Hotel in front of the Cebu media, Pumaren emphasized just that, “I am a defensive coach.”

And these Red Warriors look promising on defense. They harassed USC into 26 turnovers that translated into 22 turnover points.

However, the game is played on both sides of the court, and throughout the match, Pumaren and younger brother, Dindo, who once was UE’s head coach and is now an assistant, harped on proper positioning and decision-making.

After forcing a turnover, three Red Warriors were bunched together on the break. “Stay wide!” barked Dindo. Varilla drifted to the right while Chris Javier went left. Galanza, who was bringing up the ball surveyed his options. He fed Javier on the left and the fourth year UE forward-center spun around Toyambi for a deuce to make it 11-5 in the first period.

After Olayon’s slam, Cudal was fouled underneath the UE basket on a follow up, Dindo quipped out loud, “Akala ko ida-dunk mo.” That had the bench in stitches.

But the laughter was soon replaced by concern because of USC’s searing rally. The Warriors however, also shot themselves in the foot by missing five free throws in the final period and six in the third for a total of 25 missed free throw attempts (they were awarded 55 attempts). And UE survived despite their paltry seven final period points (to the 23 of USC) for a 76-68 victory.”

“I really have to give credit to my players because they played very well on defense,” said Derrick Pumaren after the match. “It’s unfortunate to see that good game be taken away by the rough play that saw several of my players get injured. But we’re getting there. Hopefully, we will continue to play well.”

UE 76 – Galanza 19, Sumang 11, Alberto 9, Arafat 8, Javier 6, De Leon 6, Varilla 4, Mammie 4, Guiang 2, Olayon 2, Palma 2, Caparida 2, Cudal 1, Jumao-as 0, Pillas 0.

USC 68 – Shooster 27, Toyambi 12, Ortega 11, Magat 10, Ybanez 3, Adlawan 3, Egna 2, Rabat 0, Lim 0, Laguyo 0, Bensig 0, Trozo 0.