UP guard Harold Alarcon sustains his fine play to help the Fighting Maroons boot out UST make the UAAP men’s basketball Finals.–UAAP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–University of the Philippines (UP) secured the first ticket to the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball Finals after scraping past University of Santo Tomas (UST), 78-69, in their Final Four clash on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Harold Alarcon, who was coming off a career game against University of the East at the end of eliminations, stayed hot with 16 points while Francis Lopez also had 16 plus six rebounds.

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Reyland Torres added 13 points on 80 percent shooting from the field that went with seven rebounds while big man Quentin Millora-Brown nearly notched a double-double with nine points and 19 rebounds for the No. 2 Fighting Maroons, who will face the winner of the other semifinal pairing between defending champion La Salle and Adamson in a best-of-three title series.

READ: UAAP: Millora-Brown thrives in ‘scrappy’ Final Four win over UST

UP coach Goldwin Monteverde, Reyland Torres, Harold Alarcon, and Quentin Millora-Brown after beating UST. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/6GjwtStf3t

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) November 30, 2024

The Growling Tigers, who advanced to the Final Four for the first time in five years, took a 35-33 advantage at the half, but the more experienced Maroons turned the heat up in the second half, where they led by as many as 11 points.

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“For us naman, we expected na tough fight against UST. The way they ran their program this season, nakita naman natin as the season progressed they were improving a lot,” UP coach Goldwin Monteverde said. “On my end, ang importante samin right now was the way we responded like nung first half we didn’t get anything wise offensively.”

“I believe in the second half we started moving the ball well, reading off each other and we got the momentum,” Monteverde added.

UP reached the championship round for the fourth consecutive time and fifth over the last six seasons.

“[This win is a] boost ng confidence papasok ng Finals, kailangan ko din yun and kailangan din ng team yun na pag may mga ganong sitwasyon ready lang kami sa mga ibibgay sa amin ng defense,” Alarcon said.

UST absorbed a big blow after its chief playmaker Forthsky Padrigao was ejected with still 3:24 left in the game after picking up his second unsportsmanlike foul on Millora-Brown.

READ: Upsets unlikely in UAAP Final Four but UST, Adamson will try anyway

“The coaches prepared us for that, they said whatever happens, the game’s gonna get scrappy so just play through it and just don’t let them get into your mind because you don’t want to be in a situation that you sacrifice a future of what we’re looking at,” Millora-Brown said.

“Ginawa namin yung laro na yun as a naging ready kami palagi kami kinakausap ni coach Gold na papasok sa playoffs na sabi ni QMB magiging war talaga to. Yung mga sakitan na nangyari kanina pero na-mindset kami, hinarap namin ng maayos, nakita naman namin na mas better yung reaction namin sa ganong laro,” Alarcon told the Inquirer in a separate chat.

Kyle Paranada, Nic Cabañero and Gelo Crisostomo scored 12 apiece to pace the Tigers with Crisostomo also grabbing seven rebounds.

Veteran forward Christian Manaytay played his last game for UST and contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.