University of the Philippines has etched its name in the history books, becoming the first ever team to bag the ECJ Perpetual Trophy and three straight FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup championships after outlasting the National University, 79-65, Sunday, at the Playtime FilOil Center in San Juan.

Winner-take-all final: UP def. NU, 79-65

The black shirts set the tone early with a strong start, quickly pulling away with the help of veterans Gerry Abadiano and Rey Remogat. This allowed them an 11-point cushion at the half, 48-37.

The third quarter proved to be decisive as UP exploded offensively, with Francis Nnoruka, Terrence Fortea, and Harold Alarcon joining the scoring party. The Maroons outpaced the Bulldogs, stretching their lead to 21 points, 70-49, heading into the final period.

Despite NU’s efforts to cut the lead, scoring most of their points from the free-throw line. UP had already established a big enough lead to claim the title.

Knockout semifinal: UP def. DLSU, 83-78

UP had to dig deep in its semifinal match against the Green Archers. Having been defeated by men in green and white in their elimination round encounter, the game was looking to end in similar fashion. By halftime, La Salle had built a 14-point lead at 45-31.

However, the defending champions went on a 25-11 run in the third, fueled by Remogat, Abadiano, and Gani Stevens.

In the last two minutes, State U found themselves behind by one, 72-73, before Remogat hit back-to-back three-pointers, to hand them the 78-73 lead with under 23 seconds to go. Abadiano’s layups and free throws then sealed the deal and the come-from-behind dub.

Knockout quarterfinal: UP def. CSB, 82-80

Before the Green Archers, UP first had to overcome the threat that was the CSB Blazers in their quarterfinal matchup.

The Abadiano-led squad held onto a 50-41 lead at the end of the second quarter, before the Blazers answered with a third-quarter attack, cutting the lead down to four at 65-61 heading into the final frame.

Benilde’s Tony Ynot then drilled a big three to ignite a 7-0 run late in the fourth, with Allen Liwag securing rebounds and assists to close the gap.  The Blazers had the chance to tie or steal the win, having possession of the ball in the final 10 seconds of the game at 80-82. However, Raffy Celis missed both his layup and three-point buzzer beater attempt, handing UP the semifinal berth.

Road to the Final Four

UP def NU, 82-74

State U opened its campaign against the eventual runners-up. They led by as much as 13 in the second quarter, but PJ Palacielo and Jake Figueroa’s joint efforts allowed the Bulldogs to snatch the lead halfway through the final frame, 67-66.

Unfazed, UP answered with a late 8-0 run to retake momentum and take the win.

Game Captain Gerry Abadiano led the way for the maroon-and-green with 16 points despite only playing for 15 minutes, while Francis Nnoruka and Rey Remogat chipped in 12 points, each.

UP def UE, 89-71

Their second win came at the expense of the UE Red Warriors. UP dominated UE from the get-go, with UE’s biggest lead being one at 2-1 in the first quarter. After a tight first frame, UP showed off its crafty ball distribution, with five players finishing in double figures, and a total of 12 players scoring.

Fortea earned 19 points, making five of his nine three-point attempts. Abadiano and Nnoruka both had 13, while Gani Stevens and Mark Belmonte contributed 10.

On the other hand, only five players made it to the board for UE: Precious Momowei with 23, John Abate with 20, Wello Lingolingo with 15, Nicolo Mulingtapang with nine, and Daryll Robles with four for a total of 71.

DLSU def UP, 106-99

Before the semis, UP first suffered a setback against the Green Archers. The game went back and forth through three quarters, but La Salle, led by Jacob Cortez, proved too much for the Fighting Maroons to overcome.

UP briefly held a 62-60 lead at the half, before La Salle broke the game and held off UP’s rally in the fourth with timely stops and baskets.

Cortez led all scorers with 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting, while Kean Baclaan added 20 for La Salle. Nnoruka paced UP with 21 points, while Fortea chipped in 17. Remogat added 13 and Alarcon had 10 off the bench. Despite five Maroons scoring in double figures, their defense could not contain La Salle’s perimeter threats.

UST def UP, 90-81

University of Santo Tomas topped the Fighting Maroons as the latter suffered its second straight loss of the tournament.

The Growling Tigers came out on fire, opening with a 28-9 lead in the first frame, forcing UP to play catch-up from the start. Despite a midgame rally, where UP outscored UST in the third quarter 26-19, they were unable to claw their way back.

Nnoruka posted a solid 19-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Reyland Torres added 12 points. Notably, UP battled without Gerry Abadiano and Rey Remogat, and also lost Harold Alarcon to ejection with under a minute remaining.

Meanwhile, Gelo Crisostomo led the Tigers with a standout performance, finishing with 24 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Nic Cabañero supported with 13 points, helping sustain UST’s lead through the middle quarters

UP def FEU, 75-65

After going down two straight games, UP bounced back against the FEU Tamaraws, restoring momentum before their two-week training camp in Serbia.

FEU had the upper hand in the first two quarters, closing the first half with a slim 42-38 lead, thanks to the steady play of Mo Konateh, who finished with a double-double of 23 points and 16 rebounds, and perimeter scoring from Jorick Bautista, who also tallied 16 points.

However, birthday celebrant Chicco Briones sparked the comeback, scoring 21 points to lead all Maroons. He was assisted by Reyland Torres, who finished with 12. UP executed better ball movement in the second half, pulling away as the game entered the final frame.

UP def Adamson, 63-54

Fresh from overseas training, the maroon shirts headed into the quarterfinals with a close win against the Soaring Falcons.

UP took control of the game through high-percentage play and perimeter pressure. Adamson relied heavily on Earl Medina, who allowed them to stay close to UP early in the match. Ced Manzano also attempted to rally them late in the third frame, but Gani Stevens proved to be effective in both offense and defense.

With a mix of veteran leadership and emerging talent, the Fighting Maroons overcame injuries, back-to-back losses, and late-game scares to rise to the top. Led by Mythical 5 member and MVP Abadiano and assisted by Best Defensive Player Nnoruka, UP is beginning to show its identity post-JD Cagulangan and Quentin Millora-Brown. By completing their historic three-peat, UP not only cemented their dynasty in the FilOil Preseason Cup, but also sent a clear message heading into UAAP Season 88 that the Fighting Maroons are only getting started in their title defense.