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| UP is back as UAAP men's basketball champs. Richard Esguerra |
QUEZON CITY--The UP Fighting Maroons reclaimed the UAAP men's basketball crown after dethroning erstwhile champions DLSU Green Archers in a thrilling Game 3 of the finals that saw UP winning, 66-62, in front of 25,248 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Green Archers started the do-or-die game strong with Mike Phillips pouring in 9 points in the first five minutes to help them take a 16-10 lead.
However, UP quickly responded with an 11-0 run to reclaim the lead at 21-16.
In the final minute of the first quarter, DLSU mounted a comeback to tie the game at 21-all.
The tug-of-war continued in the second quarter until UP unleashed an 8-0 run, spearheaded by JD Cagulangan and Quentin Millora-Brown, to take a 38-30 advantage.
DLSU tried to fight back, but UP consistently found answers to the Archers’ gritty plays, closing the half with a 6-point lead, 42-36.
UP extended their dominance in the third quarter, building a 14-point cushion, 54-40.
However, DLSU responded with a 16-2 run, tying the game early in the fourth quarter at 56-all.
A back-and-forth ensued as Millora-Brown and Kevin Quiambao exchanged key baskets, leveling the score at 58-all.
The Maroons found their breakthrough when JD Cagulangan and Francis Lopez hit clutch three-pointers, pushing UP ahead, 64-60.
EJ Gollena tried to keep La Salle alive as he scored on a wide-open layup after forcing a turnover off their pressure defense that cut the lead to two, 64-62, with 46.6 seconds left.
UP bounced back from their crucial error as they banked on a solid ball movement to disrupt La Salle's trap, setting up a Millora-Brown layup attempt that forced Phillips to give up his final foul and send Millora-Brown to the free-throw line.
He calmly sank both charities even as Gollena missed two free throws of his own at the other end, sealing the victory.
Millora-Brown led UP, which won its second men's basketball pennant in four seasons and fourth overall since co-founding the UAAP in 1938, with 14 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal.
Despite turning the ball over nine times, Lopez as well as JD Cagulangan added 12 points with Lopez displaying a solid all-around performance with 11 rebounds, six assists, one block, and one steal.
Cagulangan, who also tallied two rebounds, four assists, and three steals, was named the Most Valuable Player of the finals.
Mike Phillips put up 18 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal for La Salle, which failed to win back-to-back titles after beating UP last year for the championship.
In what some speculated to be his final UAAP game ahead of a rumored move to join the Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League, Kevin Quiambao put up 13 points and four rebounds off the bench for the Green Archers.
The Scores:
UP (66) – Millora-Brown 14, Lopez 12, Cagulangan 12, Abadiano 9, Alarcon 7, Fortea 4, Stevens 4, Torres 2, Ududo 2, Felicilda 0, Bayla 0, Torculas 0.
DLSU (62) – Phillips 18, Quiambao 13, David 6, Macalalag 6, Agunnane 5, Ramiro 5, Austria 3, Gollena 2, Rubico 2, Dungo 2, Marasigan 0, Gonzales 0.
Quarterscores: 21-21, 42-36, 56-50, 66-62.
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