The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons’ redemption tour is in jeopardy as they falter against defending champions De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, 75-76, in Game 2 of the best-of-three Finals, tying the series at 1-1 on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The loss comes three days after a resounding Game 1 victory by the men in maroon, where they won 73-65.
Maroon mainstays Francis Lopez, Gerry Abadiano, and recently crowned Mythical Five member JD Cagulangan paced the attack, with all three scoring 16 points in the losing effort, while star center Quentin Millora-Brown added 11 markers of his own.
Despite the loss, head coach Goldwin Monteverde remained focused on winning the final game for the championship, his fourth straight Game 3 at the helm of Diliman.
“Basketball is basketball. Minsan mananalo, minsan matatalo. ‘Yung importante, ‘yung bangon. Alam namin na hindi pa tapos ‘yung series, we just have to keep our heads up, pag-usapan, pagplanuhan just to get ready on Sunday,” Monteverde said during the post-game press conference.
It was through Lopez’s high-flying attacks that UP started off strong, with the sophomore forward scoring the Fighting Maroons’ first 6 points.
However, the Green Archer frontcourt duo of Mythical Five members Mike Phillips and back-to-back Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kevin Quiambao led the DLSU run to close out the first canto in their favor, 22-28.
UP’s offense then picked up in the second quarter, with team skipper Abadiano’s hot shooting sparking the Maroons to cut the lead to one, before Green Archer center Raven Gonzales’ layup dug them into a three-point-skid entering the half, 36-39.

The third frame started with two quick green-shirt baskets, but the tides quickly turned as UP, led by graduating guard Cagulangan mounted a huge run, sinking three long-range bombs to enter the deciding quarter with an 8-point cushion, 62-54.
But as valiant as State U’s efforts were to close the championship out, the MVP in Quiambao truly showed out in the closing minutes, scoring two crucial three-pointers to keep the game neck-and-neck, 75-74.
A layup from DLSU’s Phillips then put the maroon shirts behind by a single point with over a minute left in the game.
The chance to win slipped from the hands of UP after four missed chances at the charity stripe for Lopez, multiple unforced turnovers, and a slew of unsuccessful shots.
Quiambao led the fray for the Green Archers, scoring 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds, while Phillips had a double-double of 18 markers and 12 boards.
The Fighting Maroons seek to bounce back against DLSU in the title-clinching Game 3 on Sunday, Dec. 15, 5:30 PM, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
QUARTER SCORES: 22-28, 36-39, 62-54, 75-76