Camille Naredo

The University of the Philippines and De La University battle in the second round of the UAAP Season 87 Men's Basketball in Quezon City on November 10, 2024.

The University of the Philippines and De La University battle in the second round of the UAAP Season 87 Men's Basketball in Quezon City on November 10, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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UAAP Season 87 Men's Basketball Round 2

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173356901057420241110-uaaps87-mb-dlsu-up-MD6092.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The University of the Philippines and De La University battle in the second round of the UAAP Season 87 Men&#x27;s Basketball in Quezon City on November 10, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The University of the Philippines and De La University battle in the second round of the UAAP Season 87 Men&#x27;s Basketball in Quezon City on November 10, 2024. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>MANILA -- A full-strength University of the Philippines squad will put De La Salle University to the test in the hotly-anticipated Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 men&#x27;s basketball Finals, set for Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.</div><p>The back-to-back title-seeking Green Archers swept their elimination round head-to-head against the Fighting Maroons, who aim to make it up from their two previous Finals losses after ending a 36-year title drought in UAAP Season 84 (May 2022).</p><p>But UP missed Quentin Millora-Brown in the second round, who rejoined his family in the United States with the passing of his grandfather Angel last month and was without JD Cagulangan in the first round due to injury.</p><p>Coach Topex Robinson is bracing for what the Fighting Maroons will throw at them in the Finals opener at 5:30 p.m.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2024/11/30/uaap-la-salle-cruises-past-adamson-to-set-up-finals-rematch-with-up-2126">READ: La Salle cruises past Adamson to set up Finals rematch with UP</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2024/11/30/uaap-fighting-maroons-return-to-finals-after-ousting-tigers-1819">READ: Alarcon waxes hot in the second half as UP makes Finals return at UST’s expense</a></div><p>&quot;Again, what&#x27;s obvious during those first two meetings was, you know, UP didn&#x27;t have a complete lineup. I guess, that&#x27;s one thing we haven&#x27;t seen,&quot; Robinson said.</p><p>The Fighting Maroons had gotten the better of the Green Archers in the preseason, and are now determined to prove that they can do so in the UAAP as well.</p><p>&quot;Going back to our FilOil meetings, they beat us twice. That&#x27;s one thing that we have to remember. If they&#x27;re going to be a complete team out there, they&#x27;re going to be… They came here as the No. 1 team. We&#x27;re just slowly catching up at the second spot,&quot; Robinson said.</p><p>&quot;Again, in this Finals, it&#x27;s about how we&#x27;re gonna be prepared. We know UP is always gonna be all-out and they like to be the best that they could be. And this is just gonna make us better.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s gonna challenge us and sabi nga namin we don&#x27;t really put so much on what the other team will do but we&#x27;re just gonna focus ourselves. And that&#x27;s what&#x27;s important for us,&quot; he added.</p><p>Reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao and Mike Phillips are determined to elevate their game several notches higher, while Joshua David, who vastly improved his performance this season, is tipped to be an x-factor for the Green Archers.</p><p>Coach Goldwin Monteverde is not dwelling on the Fighting Maroons&#x27; heartbreaks in the past two seasons and is now focusing on the present.</p><p>UP reached the finals in both Season 85 and 86, but lost in three games in both instances -- first against Ateneo and then to La Salle last year.</p><p>&quot;Sa amin naman, from the last season, yung nangyari sa last season. We took that to heart sa first practice pa lang. We as a team, &#x27;yung goal namin is to take it one game at a time. Ngayon, nandito na kami. Yan ang maganda sa Finals, mag-start kami ng 0-0. It&#x27;s a best-of-three series. We&#x27;re looking forward to preparing and playing our best,&quot; Monteverde said.</p><p>One-and-done Millora-Brown from The Citadel seeks to make up for missing the second round duel by imposing his 6-foot-8 body at will in the middle, while Cagulangan and Harold Alarcon will provide the needed offense during crunch time.</p><p>De La Salle is gunning for an 11th title, eyeing to move closer to fourth-running Ateneo&#x27;s 12, while UP hopes to dangle its fourth championship overall.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xh23Kycyt6g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P9ullgYbPNU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A full-strength University of the Philippines squad will put De La Salle University to the test in the hotly-anticipated Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball Finals, set for Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.</p>

A full-strength University of the Philippines squad will put De La Salle University to the test in the hotly-anticipated Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball Finals, set for Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

UAAP: UP, La Salle eye early advantage in Finals showdown

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UAAP: UP, La Salle eye early advantage in Finals showdown

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Published December 08, 2024 05:30 AM PHT

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