UP Fighting Maroons in UAAP S81 Finals after OT defeat over ADU Falcons

“I’m just happy to be in the finals. We’re blessed with this kind of win.” – UP Head Coach Bo Perasol (File Photo: Jim de Ramos/Facebook)

After 32 years, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons are back in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Finals once again as they outlasted the Adamson University (AdU) Falcons 89-87 during a game that went overtime that took place last Wednesday, November 28 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The entire maroon crowd was in tears as senior guard Paul Desiderio shot the last two points with 6.6 seconds left of the game. Jerome Lastimosa of AdU attempted to answer back with a three-pointer but was not able to make it force his team into another semifinals game. For UP, Desiderio was their second highest pointer at 16 points, sophomore Juan Gomez de Liano being on top with his career-high of 30 points. Adamson University was led by Jerrick Ahanmisi with 20 points.

UP Head Coach Bo Perasol was noticeably emotional after the game, stating, “It wasn’t without hard work, it wasn’t without tears, it wasn’t without challenges. This team will fight no matter what.” He also shared, “There was a time when we already gave up, but I can just see it — I told myself that if I cannot stand for my team, if I cannot be confident for my team, if I cannot believe for my team, who else will believe?” adding, “So I just kept encouraging them, letting them know that this is not over yet. And that was what happened.” Coach Bo, who was a former player and team captain of the Maroons from 1990-1994 even compared their win to “a telenovela,” concluding, “I’m just happy to be in the finals. We’re blessed with this kind of win.”

The first game of the championship round, where UP will face former Bo Perasol-led squad Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles, is happening on Saturday, December 1 at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.