The University of the Philippines is wasting no time showing what its new-look roster can do.
Transferees Veejay Pre and James Payosing delivered major second-half performances as the Fighting Maroons pulled away from Ateneo de Manila University, 94–75, on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to remain unbeaten in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament.
The victory pushed UP to a 2–0 record and extended its winning streak against Ateneo to seven consecutive games, dating back to the first round of UAAP Season 86 in 2023.
But the bigger story may have been the immediate impact of two players brought in to help reshape the Fighting Maroons after the departure of several key veterans.
Payosing, Pre ignite UP after halftime
Payosing, a former San Beda standout and NCAA Finals MVP, led UP with 16 points, three rebounds and two assists. Pre, who transferred from Far Eastern University after winning the UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year award, added 14 points, nine rebounds and two assists.
The pair combined for only eight points in the first half but became increasingly influential after the break as UP turned the game around.
Rey Remogat also contributed 14 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals, while Francis Nnoruka posted 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Maroons.
For Pre, the performance marked another step in establishing himself in his new environment.
Tiebreaker Times reported that the 21-year-old Pampanga native credited the trust of head coach Goldwin Monteverde and the opportunity to play with confidence. Pre also emphasized the importance of remaining coachable while adapting to UP’s system.
Ateneo strikes first—but UP answers
The Blue Eagles appeared capable of making the game a different story early.
Ateneo took a 37–30 lead after a three-pointer by Travis Roberts, while the Blue Eagles entered the third quarter still holding a narrow advantage at 47–46.
UP then changed the game’s momentum.
A 12–2 run helped the Maroons establish a 58–49 advantage, with Remogat and Nnoruka helping trigger the surge. Payosing subsequently took over stretches of the third quarter as UP gradually created separation.
The Fighting Maroons eventually turned the contest into a rout.
UP built an enormous 90–65 lead late in the fourth quarter following a 22–4 run, effectively putting the game beyond Ateneo’s reach.
Jared Bahay led Ateneo with 17 points, while Kieffer Alas finished with 13. The loss dropped the Blue Eagles to 1–1.
A new UP era begins
The immediate impact of Pre and Payosing is particularly significant because UP entered Season 89 after losing several members of the group that helped define its recent run.
Philstar noted that Harold Alarcon, Reyland Torres, Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea and Janjan Felicilda had exhausted their UAAP eligibility, leaving UP to rely on a combination of returning players and new additions.
Pre, Payosing and Rainer Maga were among the major additions expected to help fill those gaps.
The newcomers had already shown flashes in UP’s opening game against UST.
In that 92–85 victory, Pre, Payosing, Arvie Poyos and Sean Alter helped spark UP’s comeback after the Maroons trailed by five points late in the third quarter. Pre finished with seven points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while the team eventually pulled away in the fourth.
That makes the Ateneo performance even more notable: UP’s new additions are not merely adjusting to the system—they are already becoming contributors in crucial stretches.
The challenge now is consistency
UP entered Season 89 with significant expectations following its recent championship success and a roster transition that forced the program to find new contributors.
Assistant coach Christian Luanzon previously acknowledged that the team had lost important veterans but said the new players would be given the opportunity to develop within UP’s system. He also pointed to the team’s offseason overseas training as an important part of building chemistry.
Pre’s latest performance suggests that the transition is beginning to take shape.
The former FEU Rookie of the Year now has the opportunity to establish himself as one of the key pieces of UP’s new generation, while Payosing brings experience from his successful San Beda stint into a Maroons squad looking to remain among the UAAP’s top contenders.
Two games into the season, UP has already passed two tests against UST and Ateneo.
And with Pre and Payosing finding their rhythm alongside Remogat, Nnoruka and the rest of the roster, the question surrounding the Fighting Maroons is no longer simply how they will replace their departed stars.
It is how far this new group can take UP.
