De La Salle University climbed back to the top of the UAAP mountain, winning the collegiate men’s basketball championship and ultimately winning a trilogy of finals matchups against the University of the Philippines.
The Green Archers and Fighting Maroons had faced off in the last three UAAP finals—La Salle took Season 86, UP exacted revenge in Season 87, and now La Salle reclaimed the crown in Season 88 with a thrilling 80-72 sudden-death victory in Game 3.
The finale, which marked the last games for La Salle seniors Mike Phillips and Bright Nwankwo, as well as UP’s Harold Alarcon, Terrence Fortea, Gerry Abadiano, Reyland Torres, and Janjan Felicilda, drew 24,339 fans to the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
The Green Archers’ victory not only reclaimed the crown they won in 2023 but also cemented this three-year saga between the two schools as one of the most thrilling trilogies in UAAP history.
“Our adversities really strengthened our faith. This series is a journey worth remembering. We also have to honor and acknowledge UP for bringing out the best in us, but again, grateful and blessed to win another championship,” said head coach Topex Robinson after La Salle secured its 11th UAAP crown.
UP briefly surged ahead, 67-64, after Noy Remogat drained a triple-and-one with 4:09 left, though he missed the free throw.
That’s when Vhoris Marasigan sparked the decisive run for the Green Archers, making La Salle just the second No. 4 seed in the Final Four era to claim the title, following National University in Season 77 (2014).
Despite starting the season at 2-3 and enduring injuries to key players Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan, as well as suspensions, La Salle thrived under adversity to emerge triumphant.
After Amos sank two free throws, Marasigan, who missed a late triple in Game 2, hit a clutch mid-range jumper to give La Salle the lead, then extended it to 71-67 with 2:15 left on an and-one layup.
UP remained within one possession at 73-72 after Remogat’s two free throws with 1:05 remaining, but La Salle showed poise where it had struggled all season.
In the final 1:04, injured stalwarts Baclaan and Amos went a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe to secure the victory.
The Fighting Maroons missed three straight scoring opportunities before JC Macalalag iced the game with a fastbreak layup with 31.4 seconds remaining, 76-69.
“Jesus brought us to rock bottom so he could show us that He is the rock. Jesus Christ is the one who saved us,” said Mike Phillips, who delivered a series-high 25 points on 12-of-17 shooting with 18 rebounds. “I just wanted to give my heart out for La Salle.”
Phillips averaged 13.3 points and 13.7 rebounds across the trilogy, bouncing back impressively after modest performances in the first two games to be named Finals MVP.
De La Salle had taken Game 1, 74-70, before UP rebounded in Game 2, 66-63. To even reach the Final Four, La Salle had to claw its way out of a 2-3 start, finishing with an 8-6 record and toppling the top-seeded NU twice to punch their ticket to the Finals.
Amos contributed 11 points, four assists, three rebounds, and three blocks, while Marasigan added 10 points and two steals.
Game 1 hero Jacob Cortez also chipped in nine points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals, mirroring his father Mike’s feat of winning a UAAP crown.
Earl Abadam and Baclaan tallied nine and eight points, respectively.
For UP, Remogat led with 21 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Nigeria’s Francis Nnoruka posted 16 points, 15 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
Torres chipped in 11 points as La Salle successfully contained Alarcon, holding him to six points after his 34-point explosion in Game 1.
The Scores:
DLSU (80) – Phillips 25, Amos 11, Marasigan 10, Cortez 9, Abadam 9, Baclaan 8, Macalalag 4, Pablo 4, Gollena 0.
UP (72) – Remogat 21, Nnoruka 16, Torres 11, Abadiano 7, Alarcon 6, Stevens 6, Bayla 3, Alter 2, Fortea 0, Belmonte 0, Yñiguez 0, Palanca 0.
Quarterscores: 19-16, 40-41, 58-59, 80-72.
