UAAP Season 87: UP Fighting Maroons Stay Unbeaten With Clutch Win Over DLSU
JD Cagulangan orchestrated a dazzling fourth quarter as UP outdueled Kevin Quiambao and the Green Archers 76-72 in a finals rematch at the Mall of Asia Arena.
PASAY CITY — In a finals rematch that lived up to every ounce of its immense billing, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons maintained their pristine record in UAAP Season 87, holding off the De La Salle Green Archers 76-72 on Sunday evening.
Floor general JD Cagulangan orchestrated the closing four minutes with surgical precision, scoring seven of his team-high 17 points in crunch time, while dishing out 5 assists with zero turnovers.
Clash of Heavyweights
The matchup pitted the league's top two championship favorites against each other in front of 14,800 spectators at the Mall of Asia Arena. Both programs traded blows through three quarters of physical, defensively disciplined basketball.
UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde lauded his unit's collective resolve when La Salle rallied behind reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao:
"Playing against La Salle always demands 40 minutes of absolute concentration," Monteverde said. "They are exceptionally well-coached and aggressive. Our guys embraced the physicality on the defensive boards."
Quiambao paced La Salle with a stellar all-around line of 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, but La Salle shot just 6-of-24 from three-point range against UP’s active closeout defense. Francis Lopez and Harold Alarcon combined for 26 points for UP, providing the scoring punch to complement Cagulangan’s leadership.
With the victory, the Fighting Maroons improve to 7-0 at the conclusion of the first round, establishing themselves as the team to beat in collegiate hoops.
Information in this story was reported by TipOffPh editorial staff and verified against UAAP Press Corps.