For the first time in three years, Gani Stevens and Rey Remogat found themselves sharing the same side of the court again.
Once Red Warriors, the former University of the East standouts are now Fighting Maroons, reuniting during the ongoing UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament to help the University of the Philippines defend its crown.
Stevens was the first to make the jump after Season 85, leaving UE for UP.
A year later, Remogat followed suit after a stellar campaign where he finished as MVP runner-up and earned a spot in the Mythical Five.
Unfortunately, Remogat struggled early in his stint with UP, contributing to back-to-back losses against University of Santo Tomas and Adamson University.
Today, Stevens couldn’t hide his pride after his “brother” finally broke through — and fittingly, it came against their former squad.
The 22-year-old guard from Cavite erupted for 21 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, and two steals to lead UP to a resounding 92-75 win over UE — the Maroons’ first triumph of Season 88.
“It’s amazing. That’s my brother, like you said, from Season 85. I love him and that whole Season 85 squad, we’re so close. Me playing with him today is a great feeling. We’re finally back on the UAAP court together. We looked good out there,” said Stevens, who added 14 points and 10 rebounds in the victory.
“I think he had a few assists to me and that’s due to our good execution. He helps me after practice, he’s talking to me, telling me what to do, what the guards want. I try to retain that and just show it on the court.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Tasked to fill the void left by UP legend and Season 87 Finals MVP JD Cagulangan, Stevens said he admired how Remogat responded after his shaky debut stretch, where he averaged just 2.5 points on 20-percent shooting.
Determined to bounce back, Remogat wasted no time setting the tone. He drilled five triples while scoring 18 of his 21 points in the first half, fueling UP to a commanding 53-36 lead that UE never recovered from.
“We don’t want to put too much pressure on Rey. We don’t expect him to perform every game — if he does, it’s great, but if not, we always have his back. We had his back since the offseason, and we’ll keep rallying behind him, the coaches, and the fans,” Stevens shared.
“It’s super happy overall. Even though we try not to say it, I know it’s in everybody’s mind that we’re 0-2. We knew we needed this win today and I’m glad we came out with the dub. I’m glad the guys played well, we moved the ball well out there, and everybody played hard.”
And while the win was a statement for UP, Stevens emphasized that it came with respect. For him and Remogat, the UE community remains family, even if fate put them in maroon this time around.
“We have a lot of love for the UE community and the school. We’re just happy to show it — even though we’re with UP, we still love them and show them respect. Sorry fans, it had to be against UE.”
#WATCH: FIVB President Fabio Azevedo and Leila Barros officially announce that the Philippines will host the 2029 FIVB Women’s World Championship 🇵🇭🏐
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— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 28, 2025
