The UP Fighting Maroons Men’s Basketball Team (UPMBT) posted its third straight win by dominating the National University (NU) Bulldogs, 89-62, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball tournament on Sept. 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Sophomore player Mark Belmonte together with JD Cagulangan and Quentin Millora-Brown, started hot for the UP Fighting Maroons. With full control of the early goings of the game, the Diliman-based dribblers, ended the first half with a 27-point lead, 53-26.

The UP Fighting Maroons then further stepped up the tempo of the game and went on a scoring barrage. Their lead ballooned to 39 points, 76-37, off a three-point shot by Harold Alarcon late in the third period. The Bulldogs were not able to recover then as the UP Fighting Maroons cruised to an imposing victory.

Belmonte had a breakout game for the UP Fighting Maroons scoring 14 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in just a little over 15 minutes of playing time. Cagulangan also had another steady game contributing 13 points and four assists, while Francis Lopez and Millora-Brown chipped in eight points apiece.