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| La Salle is back as UAAP champs. Dennis Acosta |
QUEZON CITY—In front of a new UAAP record crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, La Salle put an end to seven years of frustrations.
The UAAP men's basketball championship was brought back to Taft Avenue on Wednesday night after the Green Archers edged the UP Fighting Maroons, 73-69, in the rubber match of their best-of-three finals in front of 25,192 fans in this city's prized arena.
La Salle stifled UP down the stretch to seal a late comeback, although the latter still had chances down the stretch.
Down 67-63 with 5:28 left, the Green Archers went on a 7-0 run to take a 70-67 lead with one minute left, but the Fighting Maroons still tried to persevere.
UP put up some late stops including one that led to a Harold Alarcon attempt, but he rimmed out a stepback three that could have tied the game.
The team still forced a defensive gem with 7.4 seconds after CJ Cansino picked an inbound pass and Gerry Abadiano recovered the ball.
Abadiano, though, fumbled his supposed pass to Cansino, and Kevin Quiambao got the ball, and he made a split from the free throw line for a 71-67 count with 5.4 seconds left.
Francis Lopez scored on a putback off a Malick Diouf missed three with 2.5 seconds left, but Quiambao iced the game for La Salle with two more charities with 2.1 seconds remaining.
Quiambao, who was later named the Finals MVP, led the Green Archers, who last won a title in 2016, with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
Evan Nelle added 12 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block in his final collegiate game.
Diouf made 21 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one block, and two steals in his own swan song for the Fighting Maroons, who settled for another runner-up finish after failing to close out the finals again after a Game 1 win.
The scores:
DLSU (73) – Quiambao 24, Nelle 12, Policarpio 8, Nonoy 8, M. Phillips 5, Macalalag 5, Escandor 4, Austria 3, David 3, Cortez 1, Manuel 0, Nwankwo 0, B. Phillips 0, Abadam 0.
UP (69) – Diouf 21, Lopez 12, Alarcon 10, Cagulangan 8, Felicilda 5, Cansino 5, Torculas 4, Abadiano 2, Torres 2, Fortea 0, Pablo 0.
Quarterscores: 22-21, 39-43, 55-58, 73-69
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