Unbeaten University of the Philippines shoots for a sweep of the first round of the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Standing in their way are the defending champions De La Salle University Green Archers, as the tournament's opening round wraps up with the rematch between last season's finalists.
Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m.
The Green Archers claimed the Season 86 championship after outlasting the Fighting Maroons in a do-or-die Game 3 last year, with reigning Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao and Evan Nelle bringing the crown back to Taft.
Their rivalry has since extended into the offseason where UP got the upperhand in the FilOil EcoOil 17th ECJ Preseason Cup. There, they defeated La Salle twice, including a 20-point comeback in the title game. Masters student-athlete Quentin Millora-Brown had yet to commit to UP during that tournament.
As the first round nears its end, both teams are at the top of the league standings with UP toting a perfect 6-0 slate while La Salle is close behind at 5-1.
The Fighting Maroons have been on a redemption tour, winning all six of their games by double-digits. In contrast, La Salle stumbled against the University of the East in a narrow defeat but quickly rebounded with two consecutive wins.
"We are excited. UP is gonna be somebody that we’re gonna learn from. We never really call them our enemy but we always call them as our worthy rivals because their strength is our weakness," said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.
La Salle leads the league in rebounds (51.33), assists (21.83), steals (8.67), and second-chance points (14.17). Quiambao, meanwhile, has been a force for the Green Archers as he is averaging 15.83 points, 8.67 rebounds, 5.83 assists, and 1.33 steals per game.
Meanwhile, UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde emphasized the importance of staying focused amid the emotions of one of Philippine collegiate basketball’s biggest rivalries.
"We’ll prepare for them just as we do for every opponent. Emotions are always part of the game, but our focus remains on executing the details and playing instinctively for the full 40 minutes," said the coach.
UP has been dominant across multiple categories, leading the league in points per game (77.67), three-point percentage (32.5%), points in the paint (36.0), fastbreak points (12.33), turnover points (17.33), and bench points (44.83).
JD Cagulangan has been the engine for UP, putting up 13.4 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Earlier in the day, the University of the East Red Warriors will look to extend their winning streak to five games when they face the Adamson University Soaring Falcons at 3:30 p.m.
In the women’s division, the Lady Falcons seek their fifth win in seven outings as they battle the Lady Warriors at 11:30 a.m., followed by a matchup between the Fighting Maroons and the Lady Archers at 1:30 p.m., where UP aims to stay within striking distance of the top four.
In the junior high school division, the Junior Warriors hope to sweep the first round in an 8 a.m. clash against the Baby Falcons, while the Junior Archers face the Junior Fighting Maroons at 9:45 a.m. to close the round.
