UP Maroons dominate Ateneo 77-61 in UAAP opnner

The University of the Philippines' Fighting Maroons kicked off UAAP Season 87 with a dominant victory over Ateneo de Manila University on Saturday, winning 77-61 at the Araneta Coliseum.

JD Cagulangan led UP with 17 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and two steals in their convincing win.

Francis Lopez contributed 14 points and six rebounds, including tomahawk slams late in the fourth quarter, while Quentin Millora-Brown added seven points and a massive 17 rebounds in his debut.

UP turned up the heat in the second half with a key run that extended their lead to 18 points, 50-32, never looking back despite Ateneo's efforts to close the gap.

Ateneo's Jared Bahay top-scored for his team with 13 points, while Josh Lazaro had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds but missed much of the game due to an ankle sprain.