Fighting Maroon Lucero: Tougher tasks ahead
ZAVIER LUCERO would rather not call that University of the Philippines’ (UP) victory on Sunday night that snapped Ateneo’s winning streak crossing three seasons as “just another game.”
Instead, the 6-foot-7 power player out of California State University Maritime Academy preferred he and the Fighting Maroons look forward to the Final Four where the task gets tougher.
“That game was a little bit [more heavy] because of what it was, but I don’t want to downplay and say it’s just another game,” the International Business and Logistics graduate said. “If we want to make the ultimate goal, we really need to beat them [Blue Eagles] two more times.”
The 22-year-old Lucero, who’s completing a Master’s degree in Human Movements at UP, finished with a quiet but effective nine points, four rebounds and two steals in the Fighting Maroons’ 84-83 win that prevented the Blue Eagles from sweeping the 14-game eliminations that could have catapulted them outright to the Finals.
The victory settled UP at No. 2 with a twice-to-beat advantage over No. 3 De La Salle in one of two Final Four matches set at 2 p.m. on Wednesday Mall of Asia Arena.
Ateneo takes on No. 4 Far Eastern University in the other semifinal at 6 p.m. with the Blue Eagles also needing to beat the Tamaraws only once to get a shot at a fifthstraight title.
Lucero said the victory against Ateneo boosted the team’s morale heading into the Final Four but stressed the Green Archers are a different animal that need a different strategy to contain.
“The Blue Eagles aren’t invincible but they are really a good team,” said Lucero, who chalked up impressive numbers of 13.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in the eliminations.
“Having a twiceto-beat advantage is good in one sense. But if we don’t play well and if they [Green Archers] win, anything can happen so we have to end it on Wednesday,” he said.