The De La Salle Green Archers celebrate after beating the UP Fighting Maroons in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball Finals, December 17, 2025 at the Araneta Coliseum. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — De La Salle University has successfully reclaimed UAAP men’s basketball championship glory.
The Green Archers completed their redemption story after outlasting University of the Philippines, 80-72, in front of 24,339 fans in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 88 best-of-three Finals on Wednesday evening at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Leading the Taft-based cagers was Mike Phillips, who poured in 25 points, 18 rebounds, and one block en route to Finals MVP honors in what was his final game in the collegiate ranks.
“It’s been a great five years, but all I want to say is that I’m blessed to be a part of something bigger,” said the 6-foot-6 star, who had 12 points in the first quarter alone to set the tone for La Salle.
“I cannot express my gratitude. They [the fans] were lining up for hours, and I was also just looking at our rookies, and they were my motivation. ‘Di ka rin mapapagod because hindi ako naglalaro para sa sarili ko. Naglalaro ako para sa mas malaking bagay,” he added.
Aside from “Motor” Mike, Mason Amos stepped up with 11 points, four assists, three blocks, and three rebounds. Vhoris Marasigan bounced back with 10 points, including key baskets down the stretch, while Jacob Cortez remained steady with nine points, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals.
For Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson, the championship was a fitting ending to a season marked by adversity, including the MCL injuries to Kean Baclaan and Amos, multiple player suspensions, and moments when La Salle was even in danger of missing the Final 4.
“It’s the hardest to win,” Robinson said. “But having our team at my side is really a blessing because I can be vulnerable with them and tell them, ‘I’m tired, I’m worried, and I have so much anxiety.’ And they carried me.”
“This is the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life because we were up against the best team in college,” he added. “But what was most important was our trust.”
That trust indeed showed, as when La Salle trailed 64-67 following a three-pointer by Noy Remogat with just over four minutes remaining, the Green Archers responded with an eight-to-nothing charged fueled by baskets from Amos, Marasigan, and Cortez, to seize a 72-67 lead.
Remogat later trimmed the deficit to three, 69-72, from the foul line, but Baclaan and JC Macalalag hit timely daggers to push La Salle ahead, 76-69.
Reyland Torres buried a three-pointer with under 30 seconds left to make it a 76-72 contest, but that proved to be UP’s final stand as Amos and Baclaan then sealed the championship by calmly converting their free throws.
The title marked La Salle’s 11th championship in the UAAP seniors’ basketball division. The Green Archers also became just the second team in league history to win the crown as the fourth seed, following National University in Season 77 (2014).
La Salle likewise finally emerged victorious in a UAAP Finals trilogy. From 1994 to 1996 — the last time the same teams met in the championship round for three straight seasons — the Green Archers were on the losing end against University of Santo Tomas.
On the other hand, State U was denied a championship defense for the fourth time in UAAP history despite Remogat’s 21 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, along with Francis Nnoruka’s 16-point, 15-rebound performance.
Meanwhile, it was a quiet farewell for UP’s graduating “Maroon 5,” as only Torres reached double figures with 11 points. Gerry Abadiano scored seven on 2-of-8 shooting, Harold Alarcon had six on a 2-of-9 clip, Terrence Fortea went scoreless in nine minutes of action, while Janjan Felicilda was stuck on the bench.
The Scores:
La Salle 80 – Phillips 25, Amos 11, Marasigan 10, Cortez 9, Abadam 9, Baclaan 8, Macalalag 4, Pablo 4, Gollena 0.
UP 72 – Remogat 21, Nnoruka 16, Torres 11, Abadiano 7, Alarcon 6, Stevens 6, Bayla 3, Alter 2, Fortea 0, Belmonte 0, Yñiguez 0, Palanca 0.
Quarterscores: 19-16, 40-41, 58-59, 80-72.