Like the band they’re named after, the story of UP’s Maroon 5 was not meant to be a one-hit wonder. After being named head coach of the UP Fighting Maroons in 2021, Coach Goldwin Monteverde also introduced Harold Alarcon, Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea, Reyland Torres, and Janjan Felicilda, five players who would go on to help shape UP’s basketball program into what it is today. Seasons passed, roles changed, and expectations grew, but the five remained, shared minutes, sacrifices, and beliefs.
Lost Stars
Coming into the season as defending champions, UP found themselves in unfamiliar territory, starting the season with a 0-2 record. For a program carrying expectations and history on its back, those early nights may have made it harder to breathe. But if this Maroon 5 learned anything over the years, it was how to survive discomfort.
Maps
After the early detours, UP finally found its way. Slowly but surely, they rediscovered their identity. Rey Remogat stepped up to hand the maroon-and-green its first dub of the season against the UE Red Warriors. From there, defensive stops began to pile up, roles became clearer, and those losses clearly turned into lessons that earned them wins. They then took the momentum they had gathered to clip the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ wings, breaking their unblemished 4-0 record.
By the end of the elimination round, UP was not just back in the conversation. They were on top, earning the twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four. And in a fitting twist coupled with the signature Iskolar ng Bayan cramming special, they outlasted their first-round tormentors in UST for a ticket to their fifth straight finals. They did not panic, they followed the map.
Animals
Game 1 of the finals demanded something raw. Having lost to the De La Salle Green Archers in both their elimination round meetings, UP had to come out with force. They rode a scorching performance from Alarcon, who poured in 34 points, going 12 of 22 from the field and making eight of his 10 free throws. For three quarters, the Fighting Maroons played with the hunger of a team that understood what was at stake. However, the Green Archers had a way of exposing the smallest cracks. Momentum shifted in the fourth as possessions tightened.
UP walked off the floor knowing that dominance is nothing without closure.
Won’t Go Home Without You
With their season on the line, UP refused to fold. Game 2 was a test of nerve more than power. After being down by seven in the first frame, UP began to chase the Green Archers’ lead, eventually overtaking and maintaining slim leads of their own. Each Fighting Maroon fought as though they did not want it to be over just yet. Jacob Bayla did the quiet but essential work on defense, contesting, chasing, and disrupting La Salle’s plays. Abadiano and Remogat steadied the ship, coming in clutch when the team needed crucial buckets. There was no room for hero ball, only shared responsibility. They did not dominate, they endured. And that was enough to force a deciding match.
Memories
Tomorrow’s match is not just a final game. It is the last UAAP appearance of UP’s Maroon 5, a group bound not just by this season, but by years of sweat, hardwork, and perseverance. This last game is not just a culmination of the season’s highs and lows, it is the sum of dreams carried long before the crowd ever noticed. Whatever happens next, the music does not and should not stop here. UP basketball will move forward, new voices, new songs, and new dreams will be introduced. However, this era will always be remembered for the harmony these five created, in moments both loud and quiet.
Some endings are not meant to echo, they are meant to stay.
KFC & Jiang Nan Hotpot
