MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons weathered a determined challenge from the University of the East Red Warriors, pulling away late for a 91–81 victory in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament on October 17, 2026, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.
The victory extended UP’s winning streak to three games and capped the first round of the eliminations with a 5–2 win-loss record. UE, meanwhile, remained winless at 0–7, suffering its 27th consecutive UAAP defeat in a troubling stretch for the Red Warriors.
James Payosing delivered a standout performance, recording 16 points and 12 rebounds, along with two assists and a block, to lead the Fighting Maroons. Seven UP players scored in double figures, highlighting the team’s balanced offensive attack.
But despite the final score, the game was far from comfortable for UP.
UE Delivers an Early Scare
The Red Warriors came out firing and capitalized on UP’s sluggish start, building a 10-point advantage in the second quarter. A three-pointer by Toper Lagat helped UE establish a 43–33 lead with less than four minutes remaining in the first half.
UP fought back before the break, cutting the deficit to 45–48 and setting the stage for a competitive second half.
Lagat continued to give the Red Warriors a chance, finishing with a game-high 26 points and five assists. Mo Tañedo added 14 points, while Cole Cruz-Dumont contributed 10.
The Fighting Maroons, however, gradually found their rhythm and began to turn the momentum in their favor.
UP’s Third-Quarter Surge Changes the Game
Chicco Briones and Elliott Dimaculangan helped spark UP’s comeback in the third quarter. With the Maroons trailing 61–65 late in the period, the pair combined for 12 unanswered points, pushing UP ahead 73–65 entering the final quarter.
Briones finished with 13 points, including three three-pointers, while Dimaculangan added 11. Veejay Pre also scored 11 points, and Gani Stevens contributed 12 points and nine rebounds.
Dikachi Udodo and Noy Remogat chipped in 10 points apiece, giving UP multiple scoring options when the game tightened.
The Maroons appeared to have control, but UE refused to go quietly.
Late Rally Tests the Fighting Maroons
Lagat knocked down crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter as UE attempted to erase the deficit. The Red Warriors trimmed UP’s advantage to 81–86 with 2:55 remaining, putting pressure on the Maroons to close out the game.
UP responded with timely plays from its key contributors, including Udodo and Payosing, to preserve the lead and secure the 10-point victory.
The win underscored UP’s ability to recover from a difficult start, although the team’s slow opening also exposed an area for improvement as the competition progressed.
Head coach Goldwin Monteverde acknowledged the challenge posed by UE, emphasizing the importance of learning to start games more strongly while maintaining defensive intensity when playing from behind.
UE’s Losing Streak Reaches a Historic Milestone
For UE, the defeat extended its losing streak to 27 consecutive UAAP games, dating back to Season 87. The skid tied the second-longest losing streak in league history, a record previously set by UP from Seasons 75 to 77.
Adamson University holds the league’s longest losing streak, with 35 consecutive defeats from 1999 to 2002.
Despite the result, UE showed that it could challenge a contender when its offense clicked. The Red Warriors connected on 12 three-pointers and generated enough scoring to put UP under pressure for much of the contest.
However, the team could not sustain its advantage or find the stops needed to prevent UP from taking control in the second half.
What the Result Means for UP
The victory gave UP a 5–2 record at the end of the first round, keeping the Fighting Maroons in contention near the top of the UAAP Season 89 standings. National University also held a 5–2 record, with the head-to-head tiebreaker determining their order in the standings.
Reports from Philstar, Daily Tribune, and the University of the Philippines corroborated the final score, Payosing’s double-double, UP’s comeback, and UE’s winless record after seven games.
For UP, the challenge moving forward is to turn its winning momentum into consistent performances against stronger opposition. For UE, the priority is clear: find a way to convert competitive stretches into victories before its historic losing run grows longer.
The Fighting Maroons escaped with the win, but their next test will be whether they can maintain their momentum while eliminating the slow starts that nearly cost them against the Red Warriors.
