UP’s Zavier Lucero. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Zavier Lucero was on the right track from past the arc as he poured 5 triples to steer College of the Philippines’ vengeful 75-63 victory over Nationwide College within the UAAP Season 85 males’s basketball match on Sunday at Good Araneta Coliseum.
The high-flying 6-foot-7 ahead went 5-of-8 from deep to complete with 16 factors on prime of 4 rebounds, 5 assists, two steals, and one block to increase the Combating Maroons’ profitable run to 4 video games and preserve their maintain of the highest seed with a 7-1 report.
Lucero attributed his scorching taking pictures to his teammates, whom he credited for his open seems.
“I’m just trying to take the ones that are open for me. Credit to the guys who are coming off of down screens finding me,” he stated.
His offseason work and willpower to get again at their first-round tormentors additionally fueled Lucero’s fiery efficiency.
“I put a lot of work into my shot this summer in order to showcase that I can shoot the long ball and continue to shoot with confidence, and hopefully, they’ll keep going in,” stated Lucero.
“This is a team that beat us in the first round, so it’s big for us, a step in the right direction to accomplishing (our goal). In the first game of the second round, we wanted to start off strong. It wasn’t pretty at all times, but we pulled it off. We did what we needed to win the game,” he added.
When requested if he’s motivated by not making it to the highest 10 statistical leaders after turning into a member of the Legendary 5 final season, the graduating Lucero made it clear that he’s solely centered on serving to UP repeat.
“The championship is all that matters for this whole team. Whatever I can do on or off the court just to win… we got the best record in the league, so all these guys, you gotta win to show for something, right?” stated Lucero, who’s at present seventeenth within the MVP race with 59.71 statistical factors on the finish of the primary spherical, the place he averaged 15.4 factors, 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 steals.
UP goals to proceed its profitable methods towards Adamson on Wednesday.
“Our mindset going to every game is the same. We know that basketball is a game where anyone can beat anyone. Can’t take anyone lightly, especially Adamson,” he stated. “They got a little bit of momentum on their side, so taking that team very seriously because it’s a tough time every game we play against them.”
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