FOR the second time in the last five seasons, back-to-back championships just slipped away from the University of the Philippines' grasp.
In both 2022 and 2025, the Fighting Maroons were one game - one half, even - away from a second straight title only to fall short against Ateneo and La Salle, respectively.
READ: La Salle a champion anew after besting UP in title trilogy
Now, State U has a sub-.500 record in its five finals in a row.
And in a post that will always be under the scrutiny of what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, coach Goldwin Monteverde is the first to acknowledge the heartbreak the UP community is feeling yet again.
"Malungkot. Masakit. Ayaw naman nating matalo," he told SPIN.ph right after his wards just ran out of gas against the Green Archers in Game Three of the UAAP Season 88 Finals.
"Always looking naman sa sarili namin, alam naman naming pinaghandaan namin. Pero 'pag ganun resulta, we just have to take responsibility."
Of course, recency bias will always force the feeling of this latest low, taking away the highs of two titles for a side that is actually just getting used to this consistent contention.
Such is the thankless life of a coach, with wins more often than not credited to the players and losses falling squarely on the one calling the shots.
And so, even though we'd argue the Fighting Maroons are very much in the middle of a golden era - Goldwin era, more pointedly - despite three runner-up finishes, it's inevitable that questions will come up and understandable that doubt will creep back in.
Make no mistake, though, inside the maroon-and-green camp, there are no questions, there are no doubts.
In Gold, we trust, they say.
100-percent certainty
Early last year, UP inked Monteverde to a fresh five-year extension and he wasted no time rewarding them with their fourth championship in history.
Fast forward to today, on the heels of yet another finals loss, the braintrust isn't about to change its mind.
"We all feel what the UP community is feeling. Masakit talaga, cause we want the championship, even more yung historic back-to-back sana. Pero kitang-kita naman namin, and I'm sure the whole UP community will agree, na binigay ng players natin ang best nila, ang lahat nila," said UP Office for Athletics and Development Director Bo Perasol.
"Wala man lang ni katiting na duda that coach Gold continues to be the man for the job, and continues to be the right man for the job. Buong-buo ang tiwala natin sa kanyang he will lead us back to fighting, and hopefully winning again, next season."
Yes, coming all this way just to go close-but-not-quite once more stings, and will continue to do so until the new campaign commences.
But how far the Fighting Maroons came after all they had to go through has to be appreciated.
Preseason projections had the Diliman dribblers as a surefire playoff team that wasn't necessarily a championship contender, especially compared to championship-or-bust sides like La Salle or University of Santo Tomas. After all, they had just lost all of Finals MVP JD Cagulangan, now-Gilas Pilipinas standout Quentin Millora-Brown, and versatile forwards Francis Lopez and Aldous Torculas.
Then they began their title defense with back-to-back losses, including a 20-point whipping at the hands of the Growling Tigers, which stands as the recently concluded ultracompetitive tournament's biggest margin of victory.
And yet, UP management, staff, and players told each other, in Gold, we trust.
Monteverde and his staff did their adjustments and those worked wonders, as the Fighting Maroons got hot all the way to the second seed.
Come the Final Four, they were tested again by UST, but this time, they passed with flying colors to secure their spot in the finals for the fifth consecutive time.
Their modern-day rival Green Archers joined them in the championship round not long after before the green-and-white claimed Game One to move one win away from dethroning UP.
Still, there was no panic. Not even an inkling.
Game Two was the Fighting Maroons' season in a nutshell, as they relied on determined defense alongside just enough offense to force sudden death, which, as we all know now, they ultimately lost.
It hurts to be that near to the Promised Land only to have another team - your fiercest foe in recent history, no less - get to the finish line first.
But a silver medal is still a medal. And how many other teams would give up anything and everything to finish in the Top 2 year after year?
100-percent effort
Just to be clear, however, UP will never be satisfied with silver, and that goes as well for Monteverde himself.
His first name says it all, after all. Gold. Win.
Only, right now, there's nothing he can do but rest and recharge as much as he can and then go back to the drawing board, where he will map out grand plans of climbing to the mountaintop once more and hopefully, staying there for at least another season afterward.
It'll pain him and the Fighting Maroons' faithful that their beloved 'Maroon 5' have exhausted their playing years, placing a bigger burden on the shoulders of Rey Remogat, Gani Stevens, and Jacob Bayla to be leaders as well as top guns.
READ: Brick by brick, UP's Goldwin age built by 'Maroon 5's' own hands
The good news is that the cavalry is coming in the form of talented transferees fronted by former UAAP Rookie of the Year and now-Gilas player Veejay Pre and onetime NCAA Finals MVP James Payosing. Nigerian workhorse Francis Nnoruka will also be joined by U.S. NCAA big Dieontae Miles, just in time for the UAAP's new ruling allowing two foreign student-athletes.
That remains to be a playoff team, and even a title contender, considering that champion La Salle is losing Mike Phillips, Nic Cabanero and Forthsky Padrigao will no longer be Growling Tigers, and eliminations No. 1 National U will be without Jake Figueroa.
There are no guarantees, of course, and Monteverde knows full well he won't have long to lick his wounds, get back up, and start from scratch anew.
"Basta ako, ibibigay ko lang lagi makakaya ko for the UP community. Araw-araw nating paghahandaan yung pagbuo ng bagong team for next season. Yun lang mabibigay ko lagi, 100-percent ko," he said, very much true to form in keeping it short and sweet.
This year, UP missed out on that gold and that all-important win. But don’t expect any alarms to ring even though the Fighting Maroons fell short for the third time in the last five seasons.
It wasn’t too long ago that they were celebrating that gold and that all-important win - and those remain within reach with Monteverde calling the shots.
In Gold, they trust.
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