University of the Philippines erased a nine-point deficit with a furious fourth-quarter surge, stunning University of Santo Tomas, 92-85, to open its UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball campaign on a high note Sunday, September 13, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Fighting Maroons trailed for most of the second half before finding their rhythm late, riding a barrage of timely shooting to pull off the comeback win in Cubao.

Remogat’s Late Heroics Seal the Win

Rey Remogat struggled with his shot for most of the night, finishing just 3-of-13 from the field, but he saved his best for when it mattered most. He erupted for eight of his 11 points in the final four minutes and 27 seconds of play.

His back-to-back three-pointers down the stretch pushed UP’s lead to 88-77 with only 1:23 remaining, effectively slamming the door on any hopes of a UST comeback. It was a stark turnaround from his ice-cold shooting night overall.

Francis Nnoruka anchored the Fighting Maroons all game long, finishing with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds to go with a block and a thunderous one-handed slam to cap the win. UP also connected on 12-of-28 attempts from three-point range as a team.

Miguel Yñiguez added 11 points on efficient 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, while Sean Alter chipped in nine points. Gani Stevens, Reiner Maga and transferee Arvie Poyos each contributed eight points to round out UP’s balanced scoring attack.

UST’s Second-Half Collapse Proves Costly

The Growling Tigers looked in firm control for much of the third quarter, building their advantage behind a Collins Akowe basket that pushed the lead to nine points at the 6:42 mark. From there, however, UST’s offense went cold at the worst possible time.

A series of empty offensive trips allowed UP to claw back into the game, and the momentum swing proved impossible for the Growling Tigers to reverse. UST’s inability to convert down the stretch ultimately opened the door for the Fighting Maroons’ rally.

Mark Llemit led four UST players in double-figure scoring with 19 points, while Amiel Acido added 18 points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range. Neither performance was enough to hold off UP’s late push.

Akowe still managed a double-double of his own with 13 points and 18 rebounds, though he shot just 6-of-16 from the field. Isaac Danting rounded out UST’s scoring with 11 points after a hot start that saw him score eight in the opening period alone.