THIS IS WHY UP-LA SALLE III IS ACTUALLY CLOSER THAN YOU MAY THINK

WHAT else can we say?

Sabi nga nila, sa hinaba-haba ng prusisyon, sa UP-La Salle pa rin ang tuloy.

READ: It's UP-La Salle III - it's always been UP-La Salle III

And as the bills rings on Round 3 between these new-age rivals on Wednesday at SM Mall of Asia Arena, SPIN.ph is here to dissect - or at least try to - the nitty-gritty in this latest chapter between the Fighting Maroons and the Green Archers.

Unlike what we did in the semis, however, it feels a bit futile to only look at the numbers. Throw everything out, it'll come down to who wants it more, as the saying goes.

So let's do the next sensible thing and look at the personnel, man-for-man, shall we?

Frontcourt battle

Without a doubt, Mike Phillips is coming in as the best big man in this contest.

The Fil-Am banger has not disappointed in his final year in Taft in revving the good ol' reliable motor (pun intended, of course), which has been one of the biggest sources of energy for the Green Archers. It makes no surprise that he's the MVP runner-up once more and has his seat secured in the Mythical Team.

But no man is an island, of course, and this is where La Salle has its biggest question mark: providing support for 'Motor Mike.'

Luis Pablo has shown strides late in the season and in the Final Four, but his mettle will be tested against his old running buddies from Diliman.

Mason Amos loves to linger more on the outside, and his health, same with that of rookie Lebron Jhames Daep, is still under scrutiny, while spot minutes might be given to Bright Nwankwo to provide added muscle down low.

And that's not to say UP's bigs are pushovers.

Francis Nnoruka's steady rise has been a big plus for the Fighting Maroons, while Gani Stevens has proven that he can be a dependable cog down low - if he doesn't get whistled for fouls, at least.

Sean Alter's confidence is also slowly rising, which should mean positives for UP.

But for now, count this one in favor of La Salle.

Guard play

All of the glitz and the glamour emanates from the backcourt, as expected.

Jacob Cortez reminded everyone how much of a killer he is with his clutch baskets for La Salle in the Final Four, Doy Dungo has been given more freedom to make plays, while Kean Baclaan couldn't have returned at a better time from his MCL injury to boost the green-and-white offense.

On UP's side, captain Gerry Abadiano is still as steady as they come, and the same goes for fellow senior Terrence Fortea, as Rey Remogat has settled in as the starting 1, while rediscovering his flamethrowing ways.

It's a fairly close deal, but we're giving the slight edge to the Fighting Maroons for still playing at the pink of their healths.

Wing clash

Here's where things get interesting.

For all of the new names that came to Taft, the holdovers at the wings have kept them stable.

Earl Abadam, Jcee Macalalag, Vhoris Marasigan, and EJ Gollena have taken turns doing damage on both ends for La Salle, although at times, their physicality, especially for Marasigan and Gollena, have led to them getting suspensions.

But Harold Alarcon is unquestionably the go-to guy for UP, scoring at will and emerging with the ball in his hands when it matters most.

Partner that with the gritty defense and sprinkle of offense provided by Jacob Bayla and Reyland Torres and you certainly have a wing rotation that opponents will have trouble with.

It's another toss-up, for sure, but Mamba Mentality Alarcon shoots UP just a bit ahead in this head-to-head.

Momentum

Forget about UP's 0-2 start. State U has recaptured its thunder by winning 10 of its last 11 games to reach the finals for the fifth straight year.

Kudos are in order for coach Goldwin Monteverde who has kept his wards chugging along like a well-oiled machine following the departures of JD Cagulangan, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Francis Lopez.

La Salle, though, had it harder, as it had to make up for the absence of one Kevin Quiambao - you know, the onetime back-to-back MVP and now-Gilas Pilipinas stalwart.

And it showed, with the Green Archers grasping for form midway through the eliminations which was compounded by injuries to key guys.

But sometimes, adversities brings out one's true colors and with their season in peril, the Taft side went to work.

La Salle went on to win its last two elimination games against UP and Ateneo to catch the last bus to the Final Four, and despite a twice-to-win disadvantage, hurdled top-seeded National U to make it back to the Finals for the third year in a row.

Also adding to the psychological advantage for the Green Archers is that they went 2-0 against the Fighting Maroons in the eliminations - a 72-69 win last Oct. 19 and an 87-82 victory last Nov. 22.

All in all, though, it's still a series that's too close to call - and even we don't know who actually has the upper hand.

2025-12-10T02:15:24Z