THIS IS WHAT UST MUST DO TO WIN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES VS UP

WITHOUT a doubt, the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas came to UAAP Season 88 with nothing but one thing in mind: winning it all.

The reigning champions had set a goal of repeating to cement this dynastic run and cap off this momentous chapter with this key core.

For this season's hosts, this year presented their best shot at the crown, a high-stakes, high-rewards situation with possibly their most talented unit in years.

READ: Can UST finish the story vs defending champion UP?

But come the Final Four starting on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum, only one team will emerge with its title aspirations still intact.

Let's take a look at three key points which may very well define this series with tip-off set at 4:30 p.m.

Scoring-palooza

One thing's clear: this series will feature a hell of a lot of buckets.

When you have Harold Alarcon and Rey Remogat on one side and Nic Cabanero and Collins Akowe on the other, count on those points to rack up quick.

UST tops the league in scoring at 86.07 points per game, a distant first from the pack, but though UP only averages 75.86 points, it is the second-best when it comes to efficiency by making 42.64-percent of its shots.

The Fighting Maroons have also turned it up in the open court, ranking second with its 11.14 transition points, while the Growling Tigers have been more audacious with their gunslinging, as they have shot a second-best 30.13-percent from deep.

The battle within

Akowe poses the biggest threat inside, with the runaway Rookie of the Year being a behemoth down low in posting 16.43 points and 14.5 rebounds in UST's elimination run.

UP is hopeful that Francis Nnoruka, netting 12.57 points and 9.57 rebounds, will be enough to neutralize that presence.

If not, Gani Stevens, Migs Palanca, and Sean Alter will have to double-time in containing the imposing Akowe.

The problem, though, is the Nigerian's not the only inside threat for the Growling Tigers, with Gelo Crisostomo and Koji Buenaflor also hunting down in the paint.

It shows, with the Espana side scoring a league-best 37.57 inside points and ranking first in rebounding at 48.07 per contest.

Expect a lot of whistles to be called, too, with State U committing 25.07 fouls per game.

Luckily, the black-and-gold has been on a rut from the charity stripe, making only 59.7-percent of their free throws - and certainly, the maroon-and-green has fond memories of this fact, as the Growling Tigers missed 24 freebies in a narrow one-point loss in their second round meeting.

Odometer testing

It's really a tale of two teams between these opposing sides with UST maximizing its first five while UP brandishing its depth.

The Growling Tigers have leaned on their starters, drawing 53.5 points per game, good for second-best, with bulk of the load coming from the likes of Cabanero, Akowe, Crisostomo, and Forthsky Padrigao.

Meanwhile, the Fighting Maroons have had a bevy of starting units delivering them 34.64 bench points, good for first, with Alarcon coming in as a sparkplug together with Terrence Fortea and Reyland Torres.

The question now is who will get the most out of their rosters, from top to bottom?

Will Nnoruka, Gerry Abadiano, and Jacob Bayla match the early onslaught of UST? Or can Kyle Paranada, Amiel Acido, and Mark Llemit provide quality minutes when the starters rest against the tough Diliman crew?

2025-12-03T02:15:04Z