The defending champs did not start the season well — they lost their first two games — but slowly, they rediscovered their rhythm. UP went on to win 10 of the next 11 games to secure the No. 2 seed in the Final Four. And once in the semis, the Maroons entered the finals in straightforward fashion, outlasting the UST Growling Tigers in a wild 82-81 thriller last week.
LA SALLE? The school along Taft Ave. barely squeezed into the Final Four. Their challenge? Top-seeded National University, a team armed with a twice-to-beat advantage. But twice-to-beat was not twice-to-win. La Salle shocked NU twice, stunning the league and booking a spot in the finals.
I watched the highlights of last Saturday’s Game 2 and it was electric. One name stood out: Jacob Cortez — son of La Salle legend Mike “Cool Cat” Cortez, who won two UAAP titles long before Jacob was born. The 20-year-old erupted for 29 points, capped by a Steph Curry–like bomb from way beyond the arc.
And so here we are. The Fighting Maroons, the steady giant that stumbled early but rose when it mattered. The Green Archers, the late-surging underdog that rewrote the storyline as the season unfolded.
Two proud schools. Two colors that don’t blend. Maroon or Green?
The Trilogy began in 2023 when they collided in the Finals. With MVP Kevin Quiambao leading the Archers, La Salle won Game 3, 73–69, ending a seven-year title drought. That victory — especially after a forgettable Game 1 — wasn’t just redemption. It was a declaration: Animo is back.
In 2024, the script flipped. UP entered the rematch burning with resolve. Another Game 3. Another classic. This time, the Fighting Maroons triumphed, 66–62, to bring the crown back to Diliman. That night set a Smart Araneta Coliseum record crowd of 25,248 fans.
And now, in 2025, we get something rare: UP vs. La Salle III. One title each. One heartbreak each.
This season? Whoever emerges champion claims the era.
Coach Topex Robinson has now led La Salle to the Finals in all three of his UAAP seasons. Across the sideline, UP coach Goldwin Monteverde counters with their trademark defense and discipline. But both squads enter the final transformed: no Quiambao or CJ Austria for DLSU; no Francis Lopez, JD Cagulangan or Quentin Millora-Brown for UP. New heroes will have to rise.
Game 1 of the best-of-three showdown tips off two days from now — this Wednesday — at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
For me, UP vs. La Salle carries extra meaning because these have been my two schools. I grew up proudly La Sallian, studying from Grade 1 through first year high school at La Salle Bacolod. That’s where the green first ran through my veins.
Maroon or Green. Which color will paint the UAAP men’s basketball championship?
