UP Fighting Maroons dominate NU to complete Filoil Preseason 3-peat

The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons defeated National University (NU) 79-65 in the final of the 18th Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup presented by ABC Tile Adhesive. This victory secured their third consecutive championship in the tournament, marking a preseason three-peat.

As a result of this historic three-peat achievement, UP was awarded the ECJ Perpetual Trophy. This is the first time the trophy is leaving the Playtime Filoil Centre and will now reside in Diliman. The trophy was specifically conceptualized and constructed for any team completing a three-peat in the tournament.

Gerry Abadiano led the Fighting Maroons with 13 points, three steals, and two rebounds, earning him the Filoil Preseason MVP award. Francis Nnoruka contributed a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Gani Stevens added 13 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Abadiano was instrumental in a key second-quarter run, scoring 7 points during a 13-6 blast that gave UP a 46-33 halftime lead. UP's advantage later grew to as many as 23 points, with NU struggling offensively (31% field goal shooting and 16 missed free throws out of 36 attempts).

UP entered the playoffs as the third seed from the UAAP Group, defeating Benilde in the quarterfinals and then-undefeated La Salle in the semifinals. NU, the lowest seed in the UAAP bracket, upset NCAA top seed Letran and the resurgent University of Santo Tomas to reach the final.

For NU, Jake Figueroa scored 12 points with six rebounds and two assists, and Kenshin Padrones added 10 points. Jolo Manansala, named to the tournament's Mythical Team, was limited to just six points in 13 minutes. The Filoil Preseason Mythical Team also included Kean Baclaan (La Salle), Gelo Crisostomo (UST), and Titing Manalili (Letran).