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UAAP: Known for his defense, UP's Alarcon glad to contribute in scoring as well

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="UP" s="" Harold="" Alarcon="" reacts="" after="" making="" a="" play="" against="" Ateneo="" in="" Game="" of="" the="" UAAP="" Season="" basketball="" Finals="" on="" December="" at="" Mall="" Asia="" Arena.="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/12/uaap-85-mbb-finals-g1-admu-vs-up-harold-alarcon-1794.jpg"/><figcaption>UP&#x27;s Harold Alarcon (18) reacts after making a play against Ateneo in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 85 men&#x27;s basketball Finals on December 11 at the Mall of Asia Arena. <em>UAAP Media.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>MANILA, Philippines -- Known primarily for his work on defense, Harold Alarcon came up big on the other end of the floor for the University of the Philippines (UP) in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 85 men&#x27;s basketball finals.</p><p>Alarcon contributed 11 points -- six of which came in the final quarter -- as the Fighting Maroons held off the Ateneo de Manila University for a 72-66 victory on Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.</p><p>The win gave UP a 1-0 lead in their best-of-3 finals series, putting them on the brink of securing back-to-back UAAP championships.</p><p>&quot;Malaking bagay siya,&quot; Alarcon said of the result. &quot;Sa best-of-three na [series], kailangan talaga makuha &#x27;yung Game 1 para makuha &#x27;yung momentum para sa Game 2.&quot;</p><p>The Fighting Maroons were in control for most of the way and even led by as much as 12 points. But the Blue Eagles rallied to cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter, 58-56. </p><p>UP made the big plays in the final quarter, however. It started with a Zav Lucero block on a potential game-tying dunk by Chris Koon, which led to Alarcon drilling a massive three-pointer on the other end. That shot kickstarted a 10-2 UP run that Alarcon capped with his second three-pointer of the fourth period, giving the defending champions a 68-58 lead with just 4:39 to go.</p><p>It proved enough for UP to weather Ateneo&#x27;s last attempt at a comeback.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/11/22/uaap-up-edges-ateneo-on-cusp-of-title-repeat">READ: UP on cusp of back-to-back UAAP titles after Game 1 win over Ateneo</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Honestly siguro, hindi naman &#x27;yung first option ko &#x27;yung pag-score,&quot; said Alarcon, who has been singled out by the Ateneo coaching staff as one of UP&#x27;s elite perimeter defenders. </p><p>&quot;Nagkataon lang na open ako, so tinake ko lang,&quot; he added. &quot;&#x27;Yun lang &#x27;yung goal ni Coach Gold [Goldwin Monteverde] -- &#x27;pag open ka, tira mo.&quot; </p><p>His second three-pointer was a backbreaking one: Ateneo was moments away from forcing a stop but Alarcon beat the buzzer with a big shot.</p><p>&quot;Wala na siyang shot-clock,&quot; the guard said as he downplayed his work. &quot;Tinira ko na lang, tapos naka-shoot.&quot; </p><p>But defense is still where Alarcon made his name, and he helped limit Ateneo&#x27;s Dave Ildefonso into a 3-of-12 shooting performance on Sunday. The Blue Eagles also committed 15 turnovers against UP&#x27;s pressure defense, five of them coming from starting point guard Forthsky Padrigao.</p><p>Monteverde hailed his players afterward for their dedication on the defensive end against an Ateneo team that ranked second in scoring after the elimination round.</p><p>&quot;Alam naman namin kung anong klaseng team &#x27;yung Ateneo. Hindi talaga tayo pwedeng mag-relax. We always talked about it na playing against Ateneo, we should play really good defense,&quot; said the UP coach.</p><p>&quot;May mga times na nagkakaroon ng lapses, but ang maganda naman doon, &#x27;yung team hindi sila tumitigil. They would always communicate and na-sustain din namin until matapos &#x27;yung game,&quot; Monteverde added.</p><p>UP can secure a second straight men&#x27;s basketball championship on Wednesday&#x27;s Game 2 at the Araneta Coliseum.</p><div><strong>UAAP Season 85 is streaming on iWantTFC every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, available for Premium users outside the Philippines.</strong></div><p>Related video:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gDnvOHH-cto?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Known primarily for his work on defense, Harold Alarcon came up big on the other end of the floor for UP in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 85 Finals.

UAAP: Known for his defense, UP's Alarcon glad to contribute in scoring as well

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UAAP: Known for his defense, UP's Alarcon glad to contribute in scoring as well

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 12, 2022 07:35 PM PHT

Read More:

basketball

UAAP

UAAP Season 85

UAAP basketball

UP Fighting Maroons

Harold Alarcon

Ateneo Blue Eagles

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