MANILA, Philippines – The rematch is set.
For the second year in a row, the defending champion La Salle Green Archers and the UP Fighting Maroons will fight for the crown in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.
With La Salle looking to go back-to-back and UP seeking to bounce back, Game 1 of this best-of-three clash promises to be a good one as both squads aim to draw first blood at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, December 8.
After ending the elimination round at the second spot, the Fighting Maroons overcame a gutsy challenge by the third-seeded UST Growling Tigers in the Final Four, 78-69, to advance to the finals for the fourth consecutive season.
Meanwhile, the league-leading Green Archers booked a return trip to the finals after making quick work of the fourth-ranked Adamson Soaring Falcons in the other semifinal matchup, 70-55.
With rumors of him taking his talents to the Korean Basketball League (KBL) immediately after the finals, all eyes will be on back-to-back UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao as he tries to lead the Green Archers to another title before likely turning pro.
In La Salle’s two-game sweep of UP in the eliminations this season, Quiambao topped the scoring column for the Green Archers in both games, dropping 20 points in their first meeting and 15 in the second round.
Coming off a stint with Gilas Pilipinas, it was also Quiambao who led the Green Archers in their 15-point rout of the Soaring Falcons in the Final Four with 14 points.
As UP tries to limit the production of Quiambao, look for other key La Salle players such as Mythical Team returnee Mike Phillips and Joshua David to step up to the challenge and provide firepower for the Green Archers.
Phillips is expected to go toe-to-toe with UP’s top big man Quentin Millora-Brown, while David is counted upon to hold his own against Fighting Maroons star point guard JD Cagulangan, who is also a member of this season’s Mythical Team.
Interestingly, La Salle has yet to play UP at its full force this season as the Fighting Maroons missed the services of Cagulangan in their heated opening-round encounter and Millora-Brown in their second-round showdown.
With Millora-Brown and Cagulangan both suiting up, along with the likes of Francis Lopez and Harold Alarcon, La Salle should brace for a whole different UP squad which is eager to get back on top after two straight finals heartbreaks.
Game time is 5:30 pm. – Rappler.com