The stage is set for another chapter in what has been a gripping saga over the past two seasons.
This Sunday, the De La Salle Green Archers face off against the UP Fighting Maroons, their rivals from last season’s UAAP 86 basketball finals, in a blockbuster showdown at the Mall of Asia Arena at 6:30 pm. It’s the climactic finale of the first round of eliminations in Season 87.
UP comes in with one goal: complete a perfect sweep and stay unbeaten heading into the second round. Meanwhile, La Salle is determined to avoid a second loss and force a tie at the top, aiming for a 6-1 card.
Both teams enter this matchup riding high after dominant wins over the UST Growling Tigers. La Salle delivered a crushing 21-point victory last Sunday, showcasing their firepower. UP, on the other hand, had a rough start but pulled off a resilient 81-70 win on Wednesday, rallying after trailing most of the game—despite missing their floor general, JD Cagulangan.
But as much as the Green Archers faithful might want to compare these wins as predictors for Sunday’s outcome, the reality is this battle will be its own beast entirely.
Here’s Rektikano.net’s breakdown of how these two titans stack up:
UP’s Tenacious Defense
Defense has been UP’s bread and butter ever since Coach Goldwin Monteverde took the reins. The Fighting Maroons can flip the script on any game with their suffocating defense, throwing opponents into chaos and forcing scoreless stretches that break their spirit.
UP leads the league in defense, allowing just 61.8 points per game—a stat that speaks volumes.
Their latest victim? The Adamson Falcons, who fell apart under UP’s relentless pressure, as the Maroons cruised to a 12-point win after trailing by as much as 22 in the first quarter.
The same story unfolded against UST, where UP turned a tight contest into a decisive victory with a devastating third-quarter shakedown, yanking the Tigers’ momentum and refusing to let go.
That mythical tale of King Archer Kevin Quiambao being unstoppable? UP will be spending nights drawing defensive schemes just to be ready for it. Expect them to throw waves of defenders at him, forcing him to fight for every touch.
Coach Topex Robinson’s answer will be key. He’ll need his offense to hum with quick ball movement, off-ball screens, and relentless pace to create open looks for catch-and-shoot sharpshooters like Earl Abadam, EJ Gollena, JC Macalalag and Doy Dungo.
La Salle’s High-Octane Offense
When the Green Archers are on the move, they’re an unstoppable force in transition, picking apart defenses with their relentless pace and pinpoint three-point shooting. For 40 minutes of pure La Salle basketball, they’re a green machine.
Coach Topex has a deep bench full of hardcourt sprinters and slashing wings who can slice through even the toughest defenses.
The problem? La Salle’s offense often becomes predictable, running too much through MVP Kevin Quiambao. As UP locks in on him, he’ll need to transition from scorer to facilitator. Enter Motor Mike Phillips—averaging 12 points and 11 rebounds—who must show up as his double-double self alongside rookie phenom Vhoris Marasigan and CJ Austria. Together, they’ll need to break through UP’s towering defense.
Raven Gonzales will need to drain his perimeter shots, and if Earl Abadam, EJ Gollena, Josh David, and Henry Agunanne can hit their scoring averages while the team clamps down on defense and cuts turnovers, La Salle can stop UP’s perfect run.
La Salle’s Triple Big Quandary and the Return of CJ Austria
La Salle’s triple big line-up is both a blessing and a problem. The towering Taft skyscrapers have so far topped the clearing the glass with 51.33 per game while UP is middling with 46.33 rebounds.
But a triple big has misgivings.
Looking back at the painful loss to UE and close calls against NU and FEU, one flaw stands out: La Salle struggles when they go with a triple-big lineup. The Phillips-Quiambao-Agunanne combo, along with Gonzales rotating in, has been vulnerable to pick-and-roll attacks, often leaving them exposed against quick, mid-range shooters like UE’s John Abate and FEU’s Johnray Pasaol.
But with the return of CJ Austria, arguably La Salle’s third-best player, they’ll have a defensive stopper to neutralize these dangerous slashers.
Bench Depth
Both teams boast impressive depth, each able to rotate 12 players with ease. But UP’s bench has been the more productive unit, outscoring La Salle’s reserves 42-37 on average.
La Salle’s rookies, however, remain untested in the heat of big moments. Doy Dungo’s breakout game against Adamson, where he sank five triples, shows promise, and 6’7” Filipino-Bulgarian sniper Alex Konov could be a game-changer if he’s given significant minutes. Konov’s first UAAP triple came only in garbage time against UST, but he could be a hidden weapon.
UP, on the other hand, rolls deep at every position. One-and-done center Quentin Millora-Brown has been a beast on the boards, with Dikachi Ududo and Sean Alter ready to back him up. At forward, Francis Lopez’s high-flying dunks ignite his team, while Mark Belmonte, Sean Torculas, and Gani Stevens bring their own firepower.
And then there’s UP’s terrifying guard rotation: JD Cagulangan, Terrence Fortea, Harold Alarcon, Reyland Torres, Gerry Abadiano, and Janjan Felicilda. Ateneo’s Coach Tab Baldwin wasn’t exaggerating when he called them the best set of UAAP guards he’s ever seen.
The Final Standings
When the final buzzer sounds on Sunday, will La Salle stand at 5-2 or 6-1 to tie UP at the top? Can the Green Archers defy the odds and shatter UP’s season average of beating opponents by 14.5 points?
Sunday’s clash could very well be a preview of the Season 87 Finals, with La Salle eyeing a two-peat.
ANIMO LA SALLE!
