THE University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons and the De La Salle University Green Archers look to forge a finals showdown as they play lower-ranked foes on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in the Final Four of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The top-seeded Fighting Maroons take on the defending champions Ateneo, which is in unfamiliar territory as the fourth-ranked squad, in another chapter of the ballyhooed “Battle of Katipunan” at 2 p.m.
Currently the hottest team in the league with an eight-game winning streak, the second-ranked Green Archers take on No. 3 National University in the other Final Four pairing.
UP and La Salle hold a twice-to-beat advantage over their respective opponents.
UP, which has a league-best 12-2 record, is looking to reach the UAAP finals for a third consecutive time, and the fourth in the last five seasons. La Salle, which finished with an 11-3 card highlighted by a sweep in the second round, hopes to reach the biggest stage for the first time since 2017.
After a promising start, the Bulldogs stumbled late in the eliminations, losing two in a row to settle for third place at 10-4.
It was a roller-coaster elims for the Blue Eagles, as the team wound up with an even 7-7 card. Ateneo had to beat Adamson in a playoff last Wednesday, Nov. 22, to extend its Final Four streak to nine seasons.