UP survives La Salle to reclaim UAAP men's basketball crown

The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons defeated De La Salle University 66-62 in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball finals at Smart Araneta Coliseum, securing their fourth overall championship title before a crowd of 25,248 spectators.

UP established a 14-point lead (54-40) in the third quarter, but La Salle mounted a comeback with CJ Austria's three-pointer narrowing the gap to 56-50 by quarter's end. The Green Archers opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run to tie the game, though Quentin Millora-Brown briefly put UP ahead again. After Josh David tied the score once more, JD Cagulangan's three-pointer gave UP a 61-58 lead at 6:53, initiating a nearly five-minute scoring drought.

In the final minutes, Lian Ramiro's basket brought La Salle within one point at 64-63. Francis Lopez responded with a crucial three-pointer to extend UP's lead to 64-61. Following EJ Gollena's jumper, Cagulangan missed a shot, but Mike Phillips fouled Millora-Brown who sank both free throws to seal the 66-62 victory.

UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde credited preparation and motivation from previous losses for the win, emphasizing the team's restored self-belief against La Salle's strong program. Standout performers included Millora-Brown (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Lopez (12 points, 11 rebounds) for UP, while Mike Phillips (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Kevin Quiambao (13 points) led La Salle.