With only 23.5 seconds remaining and De La Salle University trailing the University of the Philippines 63–65, the tension was palpable. As the Fighting Maroons aggressively locked down Jacob Cortez, the ball was forced into the hands of Vhoris Marasigan.
With six seconds left, the 6-foot-2 winger opted for a three-pointer instead of driving to the rim, but the shot missed.
Fighting Maroons center Francis Nnoruka grabbed the rebound, drew the foul, and split his free throws.
Nnoruka’s final point sealed UP’s 66–63 victory, forcing a Game 3 for the championship this Wednesday.
Marasigan, who went just 4-of-16 from the field for eight points, couldn’t help but express his disappointment.
“Sabi naman ng mga coaches, nung ginawa yung last shot, para din sa akin yun,” said the 22-year-old sophomore from Balayan, Batangas. “Pero dapat ibibigay ko kay Jacob eh kasi dine-deny siya. Sabi ko ako na lang yung titira nito kasi wala na ring oras eh.
“Thankful pa rin ako kasi kung pumasok yun, masaya lahat ng La Salle eh. Thankful pa rin kami kasi meron pa ring Game 3.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For his part, La Salle coach Topex Robinson defended his sophomore guard after the game. The third-year mentor insisted that credit must go to the Fighting Maroons, who showed how much they wanted to defend their crown by battling for every 50/50 ball.
He also stressed that the Green Archers will stay true to their principles in the finals, no matter how high the stakes.
“We have rule number one, and that’s use your best judgment,” Robinson said. “We’re always gonna stick to what we agreed upon as mature individuals here. That shot could have brought the house down.
“As long as those shots were the ones Vhoris was practicing, we’re gonna be okay with that. We always say that players win games and they will always lose games for us. That’s not gonna change even if this is game two of the finals.”
Ultimately, Marasigan and the rest of the Green Archers have one final chance at glory when they face the Fighting Maroons this Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The next two days will be critical for La Salle to reset and recover before the championship decider.
Marasigan, in particular, will use that time to regroup and prepare for another opportunity to deliver a championship-winning moment.
“Papahinga kami tapos balik kami ensayo,” he said. “Ayusin namin yung mga kulang namin. Pa-practicin namin yung mga nawawala sa amin, tulad ng mga play.
“Umpisa ako sa practice. May practice kami bukas. Umpisahan ko dun kung pano maging patient at maging kalma.”
