MANILA, Philippines – For the first time in four matchups, the UP Fighting Maroons finally solved the puzzle of the La Salle Green Archers with a pressure-packed 73-65 Game 1 win in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball finals at the rocking Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, December 8.
The win, highlighted by commanding performances from collegiate veterans Quentin Millora-Brown and JD Cagulangan, put the powerhouse Maroons on the cusp of their second title in four seasons, and first since Season 84 in 2022.
However, that is the keyword: cusp. Almost there. One more step, and it’s one that UP has tripped over three seasons in a row, even in its last title-clinching campaign.
Maroons head coach Goldwin Monteverde and Season 84 hero Cagulangan know this all too well, and they are prepared to do everything in their power to lift that Game 2 curse ahead of a series sweep opportunity on Wednesday, December 11, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Game 1 doesn’t win a championship, definitely, but that’s the process to get Game 1, and we’re now here,” Monteverde said in Filipino. “We’ll just have to focus on what we have to improve in terms of game lapses and try to prepare for the next game.”
“Like what coach said, the series doesn’t end in Game 1, so we’ll head back, practice, and expect La Salle will adjust to what we did,” Cagulangan added in Filipino. “We just have to ready with whatever challenges we will face in Game 2.”
Points of improvement perhaps will be few and far in between for UP after a masterful Game 1 performance, highlighted by an incredible second-half lockdown of incoming back-to-back MVP Kevin Quiambao, who was held to a lousy 1 point on 0-of-6 shooting after scoring 18 in the first two frames.
There will be no shortage of challenges ahead, however, for the momentum-carrying Maroons, as Quiambao — a certified gym rat with world-class work ethic — is without a doubt already working to rectify his Game 1 collapse.
An angry Quiambao combined with an ever-hungry Mike Phillips is a scary proposition for any team, especially in a finals setting, but the Maroons have been in this exact same position last year after they destroyed the Archers with a 97-67 Game 1 shellacking.
Already knowing how that chapter unfolded, UP is certainly keen on rewriting the script this time around with another golden finish, ideally in just two games if the Maroons can help it.
“We never dwell on the past, right? So right now, as I said, part of the process of winning a championship is winning Game 1,” Monteverde continued.
“We’re gonna do our best to get that next game, and when that game day comes, whatever comes our way, we’re gonna face the challenge there.” – Rappler.com