Giving up not an option as UP Maroons brace for UAAP finals

MANILA, Philippines – For rookies Carl Tamayo and Harold Alarcon, giving up is simply not an option in UP coach Goldwin Monteverde’s culture.    

And it’s something they both imbibed ever since their playing days for the NU Bullpups – also under Monteverde – in the UAAP juniors basketball division.

“Mula bata ako, hawak ako ni coach Gold at never kami tinuruan bumigay,” said Tamayo, who starred in the Fighting Maroons’ incredible Final Four comeback against the La Salle Green Archers.

“Alam namin nahihirapan kami, pero alam ko sa loob ko na simula bata ako, walang bibitaw hanggang dulo lalo na sa ganitong klaseng sitwasyon.”

(Ever since I was a kid, I was already playing under coach Gold and he never taught us to give up. We knew we were having a difficult time, but I knew deep down that I shouldn’t be giving up especially in these kinds of situations.)

Alarcon, who stepped up big in the thrilling escape that propelled UP to the finals against Ateneo, also knows the importance of gutting it out. 

“Yung pag-palaki sa amin ni coach Gold simula pa noong NU, yung culture ni coach Gold, yung pinaka-importante hindi bibitaw hanggang hindi pa tapos yung last buzzer,” Alarcon added.

(With the way coach Gold raised us ever since our time with NU, the most important aspect in his culture is to never give up until the last buzzer.)

Tamayo dropped 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter – highlighted by the go-ahead and-one with 21.5 seconds left – on top of 10 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists as the Maroons stormed back from 14 points down in the last 7 minutes to steal the win from the Archers, 78-74.

Alarcon – who filled the shoes left behind by injured star CJ Cansino – also finished with 14 points on 3-of-4 shooting from deep and converted on a crucial triple at the 3:53 mark of the payoff period, which cut La Salle’s lead back to single digits and sparked UP’s late-game rally.

“I just remembered our practice [the day before], we were five-man down. We have guys who are injured and some of the guys got food poisoning the other day,” said Monteverde.

“Before we started this game, everybody made that decision that whatever happens, we’re going to fight until the end. And good thing, whatever we talked about followed through. We never gave up and we won the game,” he added.

For sure, UP would need that grit again as the Maroons battle the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles in the best-of-three finals starting on Sunday, May 8. 

“I think more than the X and O’s, the heart we showed [in the Final Four] was the most important thing,” said Monteverde. 

“Whatever the team did… it was really special for them, and I think it defined the kind of character the UP Fighting Maroons have.” – Rappler.com