Heartbreaks. Almosts. Runners-up.
The University of the Philippines Men’s Basketball Team (UP MBT) wiped them all away as they brought the championship back to Diliman after outlasting De La Salle University, 66-62, in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Finals on Dec. 15 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
After a near-miss from a thrilling and chaotic Game 2 endgame, the Fighting Maroons have rewritten their story as they etch their fourth championship inside the Big Dome, where they lost the title back in Seasons 85 and 86.
Quentin Millora-Brown (QMB) and Francis Lopez went big in the championship showdown, notching double-doubles with the one-and-done center logging 14 points and 10 rebounds while Lopez lashed out 12 markers and 11 boards.
“It’s amazing to be able to end our season on a win. So few people could say that they end their season on a win and you know it’s something that I’ll [be able] to go back to and smile,” said QMB in the post-match conference.
Departing senior and Finals MVP JD Cagulangan cashed out 12 points, four assists, and three steals on his last game as a Fighting Maroon, expressing his gratitude to the UP community and their presence on the team’s path to the top.

“[Wa]la na ‘ko masabi sa inyo [UP community], na-overwhelm talaga kami sa support niyo kahit sa’n man kami mapunta,” Cagulangan stated.
After a tightly contested opening quarter, the Maroon shirts started to pull away in the second frame as Harold Alarcon sparked an 11-4 run capped by a QMB lay-up to push the lead to 38-30.
A late mini-run by the Green Archers shrunk the gap to three, before back-to-back hits from Gerry Abadiano and Dikachi Ududo put State U up by six, 42-36, at halftime.
QMB opened the scoring gates in the third salvo, leading to a 10-4 surge that ended with Abadiano sinking 5 straight points to give UP its biggest lead of the game and the series at fourteen, 54-40.
However, the Taft-based squad slowly hacked their way back into the game as they mounted a 16-2 run, with back-to-back MVP Kevin Quiambao firing a big-time contested three to bring the score to 56-all early in the payoff period.
As the battle became scrappy with both teams putting a premium on defense, Cagulangan saw an opening to sink a triple to steal the lead back for UP at 61-58.
Behind his costly misses at the closing moments of Game 2, Lopez sought redemption after converting a trifecta to bring State U to a 4-point separation, 64-60, with 1:13 remaining in the season.
A crucial foul from Mike Phillips in the last 11 seconds allowed QMB to deliver the final blow for State U, putting down two free throws to secure the game, the title, and the legacy of UP’s winning culture.
On the flip side, Phillips ran the show for the Taft-based squad with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Quiambao contributed 13 points on his last game donning the Green Archers jersey.
QUARTER SCORES: 21-21, 42-36, 56-50, 66-62