Maroons outlast Falcons in OT, book historic UAAP finals berth

MANILA, Philippines – UP banked on the heroics of its leader Paul Desiderio to escape with an 89-87 overtime victory over Adamson in their UAAP semis series at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum Wednesday, ending a decades-long finals absence.

Desiderio scored the extension period’s last five points — which consisted of a go-ahead triple and a dagger jumper in the paint — to tow the Maroons to the victory, setting them up with a finals date with defending champion Ateneo.

Jerom Lastimosa, who hit the game-tying triple that sent the game to ovetime, had a chance to steal the game for the Falcons but missed his three-point attempt.

UP thus punched their first trip to the UAAP finals since 1986, when Eric Altamirano and Benjie Paras were in charge and led them to triumph over the Jerry Codiñera-led University of the East.