LIVE UPDATES: UAAP Season 86 Finals November 29

UAAP Finals Schedule of Games (November 29)

Mall of Asia Arena

12 noon – NU Lady Bulldogs vs UST Tigresses (Women’s Finals)
6 p.m. – UP Fighting Maroons vs La Salle Green Archers (Men’s Finals)

La Salle now the ‘hunters’ as UP draws first blood in UAAP Finals

MANILA, Philippines—If it wasn’t clear then, it is now and La Salle’s Evan Nelle knows it.

Before the season even started, coach Topex Robinson already declared the competition as a jungle. Hunt or be hunted. Robinson knew that to be true even before the first buzzer rang.

“It’s either you’re the hunter or the hunted. You’ll never know who’s the hunter and hunted here,” said the Green Archers coach before.

Video: WATCH: La Salle’s Evan Nelle after losing Game 1 of the Finals

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WATCH: La Salle’s Evan Nelle after losing Game 1 of the #UAAPSeason86 Finals against UP. | @MeloFuertesINQ https://t.co/RGlBwvkv9U

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) November 29, 2023

UAAP Finals: What was on UP rookie Francis Lopez’s arm in Game 1?

MANILA, Philippines—There was something different about University of the Philippines’ Francis Lopez in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 86 Finals against La Salle.

Lopez wore his usual accessories under his jersey but a black armband was seen on his left arm; something that hasn’t been seen in his arm for the entire season.

However, it wasn’t a symbol to commemorate any events. It was something essential.

UAAP Finals: Harold Alarcon uses last season’s title loss to lead UP win

MANILA, Philippines — Fueled by last season’s finals heartbreak, Harold Alarcon delivered for University of the Philippines in a dominant Finals Game 1 win over La Salle to move closer to reclaiming the UAAP crown.

Alarcon, who was one of the few holdovers from last year’s runner-up team, admitted that he can still feel the pain of their tough Game 3 loss to Ateneo.

“The pain is still there from last season. But we just have to keep the fire burning when you experience such [heartbreaking] loss,” Alarcon told Inquirer Sports in Filipino after rising to the occasion in their 97-67 rout of La Salle on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Kevin Quiambao ‘surprised’ by UP defense, takes blame for La Salle loss

MANILA, Philippines — Kevin Quiambao admitted La Salle got caught off guard by the University of the Philippines in their blowout loss in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball Finals on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Just hours after he was named the Season Most Valuable Player, Quiambao wasn’t his usual self being limited to 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists. He was also a minus 22 in La Salle’s 97-67 defeat.

Photos: UAAP Finals Game 1–La Salle Green Archers vs UP Fighting Maroons

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Video: La Salle coach Topex Robinson and Mike Phillips

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Video: UP coach Goldwin Monteverde, Francis Lopez, and Harold Alarcon after Game 1 win

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UAAP Finals: UP dominates La Salle in Game 1

MANILA, Philippines — Banking on experience, University of the Philippines turned the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball Finals into its own playground after dominating La Salle, 97-67, in the title opener on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Fighting Maroons, who are in their third straight Finals, pulled away in the third quarter behind Francis Lopez and Harold Alarcon, who combined for 17 points.

Score: La Salle Green Archers vs NU Bulldogs

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FINAL: UP dominates La Salle in Game 1, 97-67, inching closer to the #UAAPSeason86 crown. | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/3b5MaP0Z8t

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) November 29, 2023

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HALFTIME: UP 53, La Salle 41 #UAAPSeason86 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ https://t.co/BAOO9ilb7m

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) November 29, 2023

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END OF 3RD: UP 77, La Salle 55 #UAAPSeason86 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) November 29, 2023

Watch: Fans fill MOA Arena to the brim for the UAAP Finals

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Video: UST coach Haydee Ong, Kent Pastrana, Tacky Tacatac, and Tantoy Ferrer

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UAAP Finals: UP, coach Goldwin brace for ‘peaking’ La Salle

MANILA, Philippines—University of the Philippines Coach Goldwin Monteverde arrived at Mall of Asia Arena with a sense of urgency for Game 1 of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament.

At 4 pm, JD Cagulangan, Malick Diouf and Francis Lopez were already at the court minutes before Monteverde arrived at 4:23 but the coach didn’t go straight to his Fighting Maroons.

Instead, he took a few seconds to look at the players on the other side of the court; the Green Archers.

UST stuns NU in Game 1 to close in UAAP women’s basketball title

MANILA, Philippines — University of Santo Tomas picked the perfect time to end an 11-year losing streak to defending champion National University as it inched a win closer to claiming the UAAP Season 86 women’s basketball championship with a 76-72 victory in Game 1 on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Growling Tigresses weathered the late comeback attempt of the Lady Bulldogs, who erased a 73-65 deficit as Aloja Betanio’s triple and Stef Berberabe’s 3-of-4 trip from the line turned it into a two-point game, 73-71, with 1:10 remaining.

La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao is first local to win UAAP MVP in 8 years

MANILA, Philippines — Kevin Quiambao became the first local UAAP Most Valuable Player in eight years after topping the statistical race in the Season 86 men’s basketball tournament.

After a stellar sophomore year, the La Salle star is set to be crowned as the Season MVP in Game 2 of the Finals on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Quiambao, who led the Green Archers’ return to the finals after a six-year drought, was the runaway statistical leader with 97.0 Statistical Points (SPs) way ahead of University of the East guard Noy Remogat, who tallied 85.93 SPs.

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Ateneo’s Kacey Dela Rosa wins UAAP women’s basketball MVP

MANILA, Philippines — Kacey Dela Rosa became the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ first UAAP women’s basketball Most Valuable Player in 16 years.

The sophomore center topped the statistical race to capture the top individual award in the Season 86 women’s basketball tournament with 83.86 statistical points (SPs), edging runner-up Josee Kaputu of Far Eastern University, who garnered 82.0 SPs.

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Maroons, Archers set out to win Game 1 to gain ‘twice-to-beat’ edge for crown

In a championship series that can be considered a sprint race more than anything else, there will be no doubt that University of the Philippines (UP) and La Salle will be looking to draw first blood whatever way possible.

“There’s definitely an advantage in winning Game 1,” La Salle coach Topex Robinson told the Inquirer after preparing his Green Archers long and hard on Tuesday afternoon. “Winning the first game makes you have a twice-to-beat edge to win (the championship). So, yeah, this is big.”

The Fighting Maroons will be coming into the series-opener with an advantage in championship experience, having made it here for the third straight season and winning it all two seasons ago.

UAAP: La Salle greats heap praise at ‘one of a kind’ Kevin Quiambao

MANILA, Philippines — Former La Salle players and coach Aldin Ayo are nothing short of impressed with the play of Green Archers star Kevin Quiambao, who is on his way to becoming the first local MVP in the UAAP since 2015.

Renren Ritualo, a key member of La Salle’s “four-peat” team from 1998 to 2001, believes Quiambao’s two triple-doubles in the season — the most by a player in the Final Four era — already separates him from the rest of the league.

“How could I describe him? It’s my first time to see a player tallying a triple-double in the UAAP. Even in the PBA, it’s really hard to do that feat, especially in the collegiate and amateur. It’s only 40 minutes and he made it look so easy, his triple-doubles, did it twice. It’s really impressive,” said Ritualo during the ring ceremony of the ‘four-peat’ and 2016 teams on Monday.