IT IS SAFE to say that the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament Finals between De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers and University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting was always going to happen.
As expected, the Green Archers and Fighting Maroons have returned to the promised land after successfully completing their respective duties at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Sunday.
All of the hard work and sacrifices made by these two teams during the season and pre-season are now paying off as they return to a familiar place: the Finals.
There have been no shocks in this season’s Final Four, considering that last year’s finalists ensured that they would have another shot at it in the endgame and brought their A-games to their individual matches.
UP to the Finals!
The Fighting Maroons were the first team to secure a ticket to the Finals, defeating the Final Four comebacking University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers in a nail-biting fashion, 78-69.
UP shifted the tide to their advantage in the third quarter, going on a 21-4 run behind Harold Alarcon and Reyland Torres to turn a 34-40 deficit into a 55-44 lead with 2:24 remaining.
Meanwhile, the Growling Tigers were close to 58-62 with 6:55 left in the game, but Alarcon, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Francis Lopez answered to reestablish an 11-point lead with 3:03 remaining, 72-61.
This win was reminiscent to UP’s two elimination round victories (81-70 and 83-73) over UST, in which the Tigers kept the game close throughout, only to stumble late in the second half.
UP has reached the Finals for the fifth time in six seasons, hoping to test its luck after finishing second the previous two seasons, falling to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in Season 85 and DLSU in Season 86.
“Sa amin naman, from yung nangyari sa last season. We took that to heart sa first practice pa lang. We as a team, ‘yung goal namin is to take it one game at a time,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde.
“Ngayon, nandito na kami. Yan ang maganda sa finals, mag-start kami ng 0-0. It’s a best-of-three series. We’re looking forward to preparing and playing our best,” added the tactician, who gave UP their first title since 1986.
Meanwhile, Alarcon led the way with 16 points, 14 of them coming in the second half. Lopez finished with 16 points, while defensive monster Millora-Brown had 19 rebounds, four blocks, with nine points, and three assists.
TAFTened up
The reigning champions, on the other hand, responded with an impressive 70-55 victory over the beaten up Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, the last team to make the Final Four.
Leading by just four points early in the second quarter, 20-16, the Green Archers’ seldom-used guard Matt Rubico gave the spark, as they ended the period on a 16-1 run to lead 36-17 at halftime.
The Soaring Falcons, on the other hand, scored 11 unanswered points to cut the deficit to 50-63 with 3:53 remaining in the game. However, it was too late; Kevin Quiambao and Mike Phillips were too much to manage.
“It’s nice to be back in the finals and I guess we also have to acknowledge Adamson losing Fransman and Calisay who are vital parts of the team,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.
“They still gave a good fight and that just shows how good that team is. These guys did what they’re supposed to do so it’s nice to be back in the finals,” the champion coach explained.
Last season’s Finals saw DLSU come back from a 30-point loss in Game 1 to win Games 2 and 3.They are on a four-game winning streak versus UP, having won 68-56 and 77-66 in the elimination round.
“What’s obvious during those first two meetings was UP did not have a complete lineup,” emphasized Robinson, as UP missed JD Cagulangan in the first round, while QMB was out in the second round encounter.
“That’s one thing we haven’t seen and going back to our preseason meetings, they beat us twice so that’s one thing we have to remember,” he added, emphasizing that there is no room for error against the Maroons.
Quiambao led DLSU in scoring with 14 points, three rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and two assists, while Phillips added eight points, eight rebounds, five steals, four assists, and two blocks. Joshua David had 11 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from deep.
The Finals Game 1 between DLSU and UP will take place on Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 5:30 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Game 2 will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the same time at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
