UNIVERSITY of the Philippines will not only be battling La Salle when they meet again Wednesday in Game 2 of the UAAP men's basketball finals, the Fighting Maroons will also be going up against history.
In the four times that UP made the finals in the Final Four era, it has lost all Game 2s. Thankfully though, in Season 84, the team managed to survive the loss and won its first championship after 36 years.
So it is perhaps with trepidation that the team and whole UP community will be looking at Wedneday's Game 2 where the Maroons are looking to beat the odds and history with a win against the defending champions Green Archers and take the crown for the second time in four years.
On the one hand, the team has been fortunate in Game 1s, having a wondrous 4-1 record, winning its last four Game 1s of the best-of-three championship series.
A poor start doomed the Iskos back in UAAP Season 81 where UP could not stop Ateneo from completing the sweep thanks to Thirdy Ravena’s 38 points for a 99-81 Game Two win.
That’s despite Juan Gomez de Liano’s 24 points and MVP Bright Akhuetie’s 19-8 line as they could not force the decider.
Three years later, UP found itself on the same boat, denied of its dream championship as Ange Kouame saved Ateneo to take the 69-66 win in Game 3.
Carl Tamayo and Ricci Rivero combined for 34 in the contest as the maroon-and-green could not follow up on their 81-74 Game 1 overtime victory.
The Fighting Maroons did end their 36-year title drought with a 75-68 Game 3 win.
It’s the same story a season later, with UP once again stumbling to a 65-55 defeat to Ateneo after Kouame once again carried the torch for Katipunan with his 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Tamayo continued to shine for the Diliman side with 15 points, but only drew a paltry two-point output from Malick Diouf, who was adjudged as the Season MVP, prior to that game.
Unfortunately for the Fighting Maroons, lightning did not strike twice, with Ateneo exacting revenge with a 75-68 Game 3 win.
And, of course, there was last year.
After a convincing 97-67 Game One rout of La Salle, UP thought it was going on a cakewalk to the crown.
But Kevin Quiambao got plenty of help from his supporting cast with Francis Escandor, Joshua David, and Evan Nelle rescuing the Green Archers for their own 82-60 rout.
Can UP end Game Two jinx?
CJ Cansino and Diouf led the Fighting Maroons with 11 each in the lopsided Game Two loss.
La Salle then fended off UP, 73-69, in Game 3 to win the crown.
Now, the question is can this Fighting Maroons side, led by JD Cagulangan, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Francis Lopez, buck history and end their run of futility in Game Twos?
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