While no. 1 NU holds its ground at the summit, champion UP, DLSU, and UST are hot on the trail as the Final Four race heats up in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
NU continues to stand firm atop the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball standings, but defending champion UP is closing in fast — and so are La Salle and UST — as the race for Final Four spots heats up.
The Bulldogs stayed in pole position at 7–2 after a crucial bounce-back win over Ateneo in their latest outing.
Despite Gelo Santiago’s ejection, NU unleashed a blistering 36–20 second-half surge to deepen the Blue Eagles’ slump.
[ALSO READ: Under-the-weather Jake Figueroa powers through as NU keeps first place in UAAP Season 88]
Ateneo has now dropped five straight games, falling to 4–5 and slipping out of the Final Four picture in sixth place.
Meanwhile, the Fighting Maroons have rediscovered their championship form, rolling to a 2–0 start in the second round with an emphatic 89–75 rout of FEU.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: Jacob Bayla ties everything together for surging UP with solid two-way play]
After a rocky 0–2 start, UP has stormed back by winning six of its last seven games, climbing to second place (6–3) — just a game behind NU.
La Salle also sustained their midseason resurgence, scoring an 86–77 victory over UST for their third straight win.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: JC Macalalag’s breakout game sparks La Salle mid-season surge at UST’s expense]
The result pushed La Salle into a share of third at 5–3 with the Growling Tigers, who have now dropped back-to-back games after winning five of their first six outings.
Meanwhile, the Adamson Soaring Falcons continue to soar, eking out a gritty 56–53 escape over winless UE to stretch their win streak to three games and climb to fifth place (4–4) — just outside the playoff picture.
[ALSO READ: Hard-nosed Adamson banks on stifling defense to deny UE, inches closer to UAAP Final Four]
FEU stayed in seventh (2–6), while UE remains the lone winless team at 0–8.
With one playdate left before November, every team is scrambling to build momentum — as the road to the Final Four promises to be a fierce dogfight all the way to the finish.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.