University of the Philippines and National University stunned their higher-seeded rivals to forge a surprise title showdown in the Playtime Cares Filoil EcoOil 18th Preseason Cup presented by ABC Tile Adhesive, with both teams earning hard-fought semifinal victories on Sunday at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
Rey Remogat starred in UP’s come-from-behind 83-78 victory over La Salle, while NU erased a double-digit deficit to take down University of Santo Tomas, 96-84, in the other semifinal matchup.
The Fighting Maroons had to claw their way back from a 15-point hole, 28-43, late in the second quarter, and were still trailing 72-73 inside the final two minutes.
That’s when Remogat stepped up, draining back-to-back clutch triples — including one over the outstretched arms of Jacob Cortez — to give UP a 78-73 lead with just 23 seconds left.
“Gusto ko lang ibalik yung tiwala na binigay ng coaches and teammates ko sa’kin. ‘Di maganda yung first half ko, pero sinasabi lang nila lagi sa’kin, itira mo lang yung tira mo,” said Remogat, who was just 1-of-11 from deep before hitting the game-winners.
Vhoris Marasigan cut the deficit to two, but Gerry Abadiano answered with a split at the stripe and a fastbreak layup to make it 81-75. Kean Baclaan buried a triple to trim La Salle’s gap to three, but Abadiano calmly knocked down two free throws to seal the win.
Remogat led UP with 14 points, while Abadiano and Gani Stevens added 12 each in the thrilling comeback that sent the Maroons back to the Filoil Finals.
Head coach Goldwin Monteverde credited the turnaround to a renewed focus on energy and effort after a flat first half.
“We just reminded them to turn up yung effort and energy nila. Kasi yun yung nagkulang nung first half,” said Monteverde.
La Salle, which entered the semifinals unbeaten, absorbed its first loss of the tournament backed by major sponsors PlayTime Cares, Filoil, EcoOil, Hanes, Bostik El Heneral, Jiang Nan Hotpot, Lamtex Pipes, Smart, and Puso Pilipinas; with Spalding as the official game ball and support from minor sponsors Harbor Star, Wallem, Akari, BDO, Tela.com Athletics, Nature’s Spring, Reyes Barbecue, and Brothers Burger.
Cortez tallied 16 points and six rebounds, while Baclaan flirted with a triple-double with 14 points, 10 boards, and eight assists.
However, the Green Archers struggled from the line, converting just 23-of-43 free throws — including eight misses in the final eight minutes.
Earlier, NU defied the odds once again, rising from the fourth seed to stun UST and advance to the finals.
Down 14 early in the third quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 29-11 tear, scoring 12 points from inside the paint to seize a 72-68 lead with 2:09 remaining in the period.
From there, they never looked back.
“Linaro lang namin yung laro namin come the second half. Yun lang naman sinabi ko sa kanila sa dugout e, na sumunod lang kami sa strengths namin,” said head coach Jeff Napa, whose team previously ousted NCAA Group No. 1 Letran in the quarterfinals.
The Growling Tigers could get no closer than eight points in the fourth, as NU used its length and size to dominate inside, finishing with a 44-36 advantage in paint points.
Gelo Crisostomo led the Tigers with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Nic Cabanero and Kyle Paranada added 14 and 13 markers, respectively. However, their efforts weren’t enough to prevent another failed finals bid.
Now, NU and UP — two teams that clawed their way from the bottom half of the standings — will battle for the ECJ Perpetual Trophy in a winner-take-all championship set on Sunday, July 27, at the same venue.
The Scores:
Semis 1
NU 96 – Figueroa 24, Santiago 13, John 11, Padrones 10, Palacielo 10, Jumamoy 9, Manansala 8, Francisco 6, Dela Cruz 3, Parks 2, Enriquez 0, Solomon 0, Tulabut 0, Reyes 0
UST 84 – Crisostomo 21, Cabanero 14, Paranada 13, Osang 12, Acido 7, Buenaflor 7, Danting 5, Padrigao 3, Estacio 2, Bucsit 0, Laure 0
Quarterscores: 22-28, 43-53, 77-71, 96-84
Semis 2
UP 83 – Remogat 14, Abadiano 12, Stevens 12, Alarcon 9, Torres 9, Nnoruka 6, Alter, 6, Briones 6, Belmonte 2, Bayla 2, Gagate 2, Fortea 2, Felicilda 1, Andres 0
DLSU 78 – Cortez 16, Baclaan 14, Phillips 12, Amos 11, Marasigan 11, Pablo 6, Nwankwo 5, Macalalag 3, Abadam 0, Dungo 0
Quarterscores: 15-21, 31-45, 56-56, 83-78
