University of the Philippines survived a pesky Ateneo de Manila University, 82-74, to become the first team to secure a Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The league-leading Fighting Maroons continued their impressive run, notching their seventh consecutive victory to improve to 9-2 and extend their league-best active Final Four streak to eight seasons, dating back to Season 81.
UP also stretched its winning streak against Ateneo to eight games, with the Blue Eagles last defeating their Katipunan neighbors on October 22, 2023, during the first round of Season 86, 99-89.
However, unlike their dominant 94-75 victory in their first-round meeting, the Fighting Maroons had to grind out the win this time, fending off the Blue Eagles until the final minutes.
UP will look to extend its winning streak next Saturday when it takes on Far Eastern University at the Big Dome.
