UNIVERSITY of the Philippines moved within a win yesterday of what seemed like the improbable before the start of the season– end the three-year dominance of reigning champion Ateneo.
Proving they wanted it more, the Fighting Maroons stunned the Blue Eagles anew, carving out an 81-74 victory in overtime in Game 1 of their best-of-three finals duel for the 84th UAAP basketball tournament title before a wild and roaring crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
In front of 11,582 fans, graduating wingman Ricci Rivero led a more balanced UP attack with a game-high 19 points, while Zavier Lucero backed him up with 17 markers, 13 rebounds, and two assists.
James Spencer also had 13 points on three three-pointers, while big men Malick Diouf and Carl Tamayo combined for 20 for the Maroons, who scored a big follow-up to their similarly shocking 78-74 triumph over La Salle in their do-or-die Final Four match last Friday.
Ateneo, coming off an 85-72 win over Far Eastern University five days ago also in the Final Four, lost to UP 83-84 in their second round tiff last May 1 that halted the Eagles 13-0 winning streak and 39-0 record since 2018.
The Maroons will try to bag their first crown since 1986 in Game 2 set on Wednesday at the same venue. A knockout game, if necessary, will be on Friday also at the MOA Arena.
UP coach Goldwin Monteverde lauded his charges’ resolve after they charged back from a 12-point third quarter deficit.
“Maraming ups and downs ang nangyari on both ends,” Monteverde said. “But we just kept reminding each other not to give up.”
The Maroons led 32-31 at the half but fell 41-53 on an Ange Kouame basket at the 1:28 mark of the third canto.
UP trimmed the disadvantage to 49-54 heading into the payoff period.
A Raffy Verano jumper pegged a 70-64 count for Ateneo with 58.2 seconds left in the fourth but a Lucero three-point play conversion and a Spencer booming triple after a Kouame turnover knotted the game at 70-all, only 24.7 ticks left.
