UAAP Season 88 has officially come to a close as of last Wednesday, December 17, and it was an absolute masterclass of a Game 3 between the DLSU Green Archers and UP Fighting Maroons.
A Familiar Finals Matchup with a Difficult Road Back
If you didn’t know it, these two were viewed as the favorites to meet again for a third consecutive finals matchup, but the road to get there wasn’t easy for either of them.
Fully committing to Rey Remogat as the spearhead of UP’s offense worked wonders from the third game onwards, with the Fighting Maroons finishing the eliminations with a 10-4 record after starting 0-2 to claim the second seed.
Meanwhile, DLSU had an up-and-down season and only secured the last spot in the Final Four with an insane come-from-behind 78-72 victory over its forever rivals in the Ateneo Blue Eagles on the final day of the eliminations.
The Final Four Gauntlet
With UP trouncing the UST Growling Tigers in a back-and-forth Final Four thriller to secure their Finals spot, the Green Archers needed to beat the top-seeded NU Bulldogs twice. DLSU rose to the challenge, winning two of the most action-packed Final Four games in recent memory to book their third straight Finals meeting with UP.
Game 1 was an absolute doozy, requiring a Jacob Cortez stepback three to seal the win for DLSU and spoil Harold Alarcon’s massive 34-point performance. Doy Dungo also played a crucial role, scoring 15 points in just 15 minutes.
UP answered back in Game 2 behind a collective effort that defined their Season 88 run. Gerry Abadiano led the way with 17 points highlighted by fourth-quarter heroics, while Rey Remogat and Francis Nnoruka chipped in 12 and 13 points, respectively, to force a decisive Game 3.
Mike Phillips Delivers in His UAAP Swan Song
On December 17 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the two rivals went to war in a Finals Game 3 that lived up to the hype. Knowing it would be his final UAAP game, Mike Phillips delivered a legacy performance to lead DLSU to an 80-72 victory.
Phillips posted 25 points on 12-of-17 shooting, grabbed 18 rebounds, logged 38 minutes, and finished with a plus-minus of +12 to earn Finals MVP honors and cap off his collegiate career with another championship.
A Historic Title Run for DLSU
Season 88 proved to be one of the most balanced UAAP campaigns in recent memory, and the Green Archers took full advantage. By winning their second title in three Finals meetings against UP, DLSU closed the trilogy in emphatic fashion.
Congratulations once again to head coach Topex Robinson and the DLSU Green Archers, who became the first fourth seed to win the UAAP championship since the NU Bulldogs in Season 77 back in 2014.
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