The De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, who were counted out, doubted, and overlooked all season, dethroned the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball tournament after securing Game 3 of the Finals, 80–72, earlier today at the jam-packed SMART Araneta Coliseum.
In the third DLSU-UP Finals series in as many years, the Season 88 Green Archers showed up when it mattered most. They showed immaculate defense and were perfect on free throws in the final seconds of the year to clinch La Salle’s 11th UAAP title. In what may have been his final year as a student-athlete, Michael Phillips was crowned as the Finals MVP.
Jacob Cortez kicked off the championship decider with a long three just 13 seconds after the opening tip. Mason Amos and Earl Abadam’s deuces kept La Salle ahead 7–6 in the first five minutes, before Rey Remogat’s triple put UP ahead 9–7 at the 4:52 mark. Phillips’ production in the paint quickly restored DLSU’s advantage, with his game-high 12 points in the first quarter alone nearly outscoring the entire Fighting Maroons squad. La Salle put up 19 to UP’s 16 by the end of the period, with an exchange of turnovers that led to yet another close-range shot from Phillips giving La Salle a three-point cushion.
The contest got more explosive in the second as Phillips was now joined by Vhoris Marasigan in carrying the Green-and-White’s firepower. A perfect trip to the line from Kean Baclaan increased La Salle’s lead to six, at 28–22 with 7:11 on the clock. Yet another floater from Motor Mike, whose tally went up to 16 with 6:47 still to go in the half, forced a timeout from the Fighting Maroons as they fell behind 22–30. Back-to-back shots from inside by Remogat pushed UP back within four, which then prompted coach Topex Robinson to call for time with 3:10 to go. An unsportsmanlike foul called on Jcee Macalalag gave two free throws away to the Fighting Maroons, which Remogat both converted to reduce their deficit to just one. Gerry Abadiano also went perfect from the line after he was fouled on a drive, which gave control of the game back to UP at 41–40. Marasigan was unable to change the score before halftime as his last-second attempt rattled out of the rim.
Abadam began the second half with a one-handed poster dunk over Gani Stevens that immediately put life into the DLSU crowd. Threes from Amos and Cortez made it a 48–45 lead for the Green Archers and, crucially, put the atmosphere of the SMART Araneta Coliseum in their favor. UP bigs Stevens and Francis Nnoruka racked up multiple points in the paint as the Maroons quickly took back the advantage at 49–48. Harold Alarcon increased his team’s tally with a jumper off the spin, which Cortez answered immediately with his now-famous stepback that was deemed a long two. State U were in the driver’s seat for majority of the third frame as turnovers and missed opportunities hurt DLSU all throughout. With 31 seconds to go, Baclaan gave La Salle a slim lead after converting through contact, but Sean Alter’s layup on the other end ended up as the last bucket of the third. The Green Archers entered the final quarter of the season down 58–59, but it just so happens that ten minutes is an eternity in basketball.
Phillips’ putback at the 8:02 mark was the first bucket scored after a sequence of “almost” moments that showed how the game quickly evolved from competitive sport to the most important sprint of the season. Abadam nailed a three at the 7:26 mark which extended DLSU’s lead to four. A pull-up middy by Remogat with under five minutes remaining swung favor back UP’s way as the Green Archers trailed 63–64. Phillips split his free throws and leveled the score, but Remogat nailed a three after getting fouled seconds later to restore the Maroons’ three-point cushion. Luis Pablo had to be carried off after taking a hit on the face from Alarcon. Amos nailed both the free throws that came after that play, and on the Green Archers’ very next chance on offense, Marasigan stepped in for a lead-taking two-point jumper.
He topped that the very next possession with a successful and-one conversion which put La Salle in front, 71–67, with 2:15 left on the clock. The Green Archers played their greatest defense of the season as winning time slowly approached. Interceptions. Blocks. Everything that’s included in championship basketball. An outlet pass from Cortez to a wide-open Macalalag down the court resulted in an open layup to run the score up to 76–69.
It was paradise from there on, as the Green Archers healed the wounds of Season 87 with an 80–72 victory that dethroned the defending champions for their 11th UAAP title.
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