UP, ADMU UAAP finals showdown set today

THE University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons will be facing their biggest challenge this season with equal parts tenacity, hope and joy as they take on the defending champions Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals series in Season 81 of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Fresh off their incredible Final Four victory over the Adamson Soaring Falcons, the Maroons, who are making their first finals appearance in more than three decades, are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead.

Nevertheless, they will be approaching the challenge head on, with smiles on their faces, confident in the man that stands beside them.

“Kaya naman sila kasi hindi rin kami isang player lang ngayon, kundi #16Strong,” shared former Cesafi juniors MVP Janjan Jaboneta, a man who has transformed himself into a defensive dynamo and who will be called upon to slow down Ateneo star, Thirdy Ravena.

Liloan-native Paul Desiderio will be riding high on the crest of his heroics against Adamson wherein he made the game’s last two shots including the game-winning jumper with six seconds remaining in overtime.

“Sobrang saya lahat kasi 32 years hindi kami nakapasok sa finals and walang experience sa Final Four. Sa Final Four na nga sobrang happy lahat, finals pa kaya,” said Desiderio, a University of the Visayas product who also won the Cesafi juniors MVP back in 2011.

The numbers, however, do not paint a pretty picture for the Maroons as they have just won thrice over Ateneo in the last 30 games they’ve played in a 15-year period. This season alone, Ateneo has won over UP by an average margin of 12.5 points.

Ateneo beat UP, 87-79, last September 12 and then asserted its mastery over its cross-street rivals with yet another dominant victory, 83-66, last October 14.

The last time UP won over Ateneo was on October 8, 2016, when the Maroons hacked out a 56-52 win.