A bittersweet goodbye. An end of an era.
The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons closed an epic UAAP Finals trilogy, bowing out in a heartbreaking 72-80 loss against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers on Wednesday at a jam-packed Smart Araneta Coliseum.
UP’s “Maroon 5” — team captain Gerry Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Janjan Felicilda, Terrence Fortea and Reyland Torres — may not have ended their collegiate careers as champions but there is no denying the legacy they leave behind.
WATCH: “Maroon 5” sings UP Naming Mahal for the final time
Abadiano, Alarcon and Fortea ended their journey as the most decorated Maroons, taking home a total of two gold and three silver medals in their five consecutive Finals appearances donning a Maroon jersey.
“Binigay nila lahat. ‘Di ko nakikita [ang journey nila] for this season alone. It’s like I’ve been with them from Season 84 pa ‘til now. Every practice [and] every game namin, I could really see them give their best,” said head coach Goldwin Monteverde, who encouraged his team to keep their chins up for all they have accomplished.
“Nakita ko naman [hindi lang] during ‘yong season natin sa UAAP, but the whole year na magkasama kami, having those ups and downs that the team kept fighting [for], at the same time overcoming things as a team,” Monteverde said.
“I’m very proud of them,” he added.
The Maroon 5 has been under Monteverde’s wing since they were in high school playing for National University (NU) Nazareth School, alongside Season 84 Rookie of the Year Carl Tamayo and the Green Archers’ Kevin Quiambao.
“I feel blessed. Very seldom would a coach have the opportunity to be with a group of guys na since high school kasama mo. Kung may kasama kang ganon sa mga gano’ng panahon, sa saya at sa lungkot, talagang mamahalin mo.”
In the Season 88 finale, UP had a slow 0-5 start until a jumper from Abadiano sparked a 9-2 run capped by a triple from Rey Remogat. However, La Salle responded with Mike Phillips’ 12-point rampage in the paint to give the green shirts a 16-19 advantage at the end of the opening quarter.
Down by as many as nine in the second frame, the Diliman crew mounted an 18-8 run with six coming from Remogat to head into the halftime break with a one-point advantage, 41-40.
State U gained its biggest lead, 57-52, after a Remogat trey in the third salvo. But the Green Archers went on a mini run to trim the maroon lead down to just one heading into the payoff period.
Remogat sank a three-pointer to break a 64-all deadlock, but an 8-0 DLSU counter made it difficult for UP to make a comeback.
With 31 seconds left in his final game donning the maroon jersey, Torres buried a three-pointer to pull UP within four, 72-76. But they still could not complete the comeback, sealing a heartbreaking end to the Fighting Maroons’ Season 88 campaign.
Remogat led the UP fight with 21 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Francis Nnoruka recorded his last double-double of the season with 16 markers and 15 boards.
Finals MVP Phillips played a season-high 25 points and 18 rebounds for the green and white.
One final run
The UP MBT had a rough 0-2 start to the season, falling to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers and Adamson Soaring Falcons.
The Maroon cagers then went on to win their next four games, even breaking the so-called “QPav curse” when they faced then top-seeded NU Bulldogs.
They absorbed their third loss of the season in their round-ender against the Green Archers.
In their second encounter, the Taft-based squad once again snapped UP’s streak, blocking the Fighting Maroons’ bid for a second-round sweep.
With a twice-to-beat advantage heading into the Final Four, UP faced UST and booked a fifth-straight ticket to the Finals after narrowly escaping the Growling Tigers. Fortea came up big in the clutch, delivering the game-winning dagger for the Fighting Maroons.
Facing each other for the third time in the Finals, both the Maroons and Archers go head-to-head to determine who would emerge victorious in the final chapter of their trilogy.
Having their backs against the wall heading into Game 2, State U forced a deciding match with the help of Jacob Bayla’s defense and Abadiano’s late-game heroics.
With everything on the line in their final collegiate match, the Maroon 5 gave it their all for the UP community but ultimately fell short of the golden exit they hoped to have.
Carrying with them the sting of green-colored heartbreaks, the UP MBT will look to avenge the “what could’ve been” of Season 88. With prized recruits like Dieonte Miles, James Payosing, Rainier Maga and Veejay Pre suiting up for the Maroons, Season 89 will be a redemption tour to remember.
