Rey Remogat refused to let his Finals debut define him.
Stepping up when it mattered most, the transferee point guard from University of the East carried defending champion University of the Philippines to a hard-fought 66-63 victory over rival De La Salle University, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Remogat had struggled in Game 1, scoring just three points on 1-of-8 shooting with two turnovers, though he contributed six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in a narrow 70-74 loss.
But rather than dwell on nerves or past mistakes, he used the setback as fuel for redemption.
“For me kasi, yung jitters, parang hindi naman ako naniniwala sa ganyan. Kung talo, talo; kung panalo, panalo. Siguro yung first game, mas napaghandaan lang ng maayos yung kabilang team at siguro, para sa kanila rin yung Game 1,” Remogat told reporters on Sunday evening.
“Siguro, itong Game 2, para naman sa amin.”
Answering the call of head coach Goldwin Monteverde, Remogat wasted no time erasing the memory of his Game 1 woes. He poured in 12 points, including 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, with three steals and two assists in front of 22,412 roaring fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The General Trias, Cavite native’s back-to-back stepback three-pointers were pivotal, turning a 49-all deadlock into a four-point, 55-51 lead with less than eight minutes remaining. Those baskets proved crucial as UP preserved the edge, with team captain Gerry Abadiano taking over in the clutch to seal the hard-fought win.
“Yung pagbawi naman, lagi naman nandiyan ‘eh. Siguro sinapuso ko lang yung sinabi ni coach Gold na yung likod namin, nasa wall na ‘eh. Kumbaga, wala na kami kailangan gawin kundi lumaban. Pag sumuntok sila, kailangan sumuntok din kami,” Remogat shared.
“Kumbaga, yung willingness din namin manalo, nandoon din talaga ‘eh kasi simula first quarter, kahit hindi maganda yung naging umpisa namin, nandoon yung eagerness namin manalo,” he added.
With Game 2 now behind him, Remogat is one win away from achieving the vision that brought him to UP — a championship and further cementing the Fighting Maroons as the winningest UAAP men’s basketball program in the post-pandemic era.
For Remogat, Game 3 won’t be about X’s and O’s or flawless execution of Monteverde’s system. It will come down to hunger, to the collective desire of the Fighting Maroons to capture back-to-back titles and a third crown in five seasons.
“Yung mga ganitong panahon, mental na lang yan ‘eh tsaka sa puso ‘eh. Wala na yung mga scout-scout, yung mga X’s and O’s, wala na yan ‘eh. It’s more on utak at sa puso na ‘yan ‘eh,” the 5-foot-9 guard explained.
“Kung sino mas gusto manalo at makuha yung championship, ayon yung mananalo. Ayan lang gusto ko maging ganon yung team namin, kailangan mas gustuhin namin dahil for sure naman yung kabilang team, gusto rin nila manalo. Dapat mas gustuhin namin,” he added.
“Yung thoughts ko naman na sa first year ko, makapag-champion agad ako — ‘yon naman yung goal simula nung lumipat ako ‘eh. Malapit na ako sa goal ko, kailangan ko lang trabahuin dahil hindi pa naman tapos yung trabaho namin na makuha yung championship. Kailangan namin tapusin ito ng maganda.”
#WATCH: NO LOOKING BACK
Rey Remogat vows to leave it all on the floor for his first UAAP crown ✊🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/eb0VdGemjB
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/Aruf8a7daf
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) December 14, 2025
