PAUL Desiderio scattered 42 points as University of the Philippines defeated reigning UAAP champion De La Salle, 87-79, on Sunday to claim the 2017 Araw ng Davao basketball title at the Almendras Gym.
Desiderio fired nine three-pointers to steal the show in finale that featured the first match-up between UAAP MVP Ben Mbala of La Salle and new UP recruit Bright Akhuetie.
Desiderio was later named MVP while UP's Bo Perasol was named Best Coach.
The title should be a big boost for UP in its quest to do well in UAAP Season 80, although Akhuetie still need to undergo a one-year residency before becoming eligible to join the team.
In the side events, UP's Juan Gomez de Liano and Rob Ricafort won the three-point shootout and slam dunk contest, respectively.
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