Green Archers yield WUBS crown as Fighting Maroons end debut at seventh

Bernadette Soriano

Two teams carried the Philippine flag in the 2025 World University Basketball Series (WUBS) in Tokyo, and both left with lessons rather than the trophy.

De La Salle University (DLSU) stormed through the early stages, dispatching National Chengchi University, 89-84, in a tense opener before dismantling the Japan University Select Team, 88-75, in the semifinals.

Mike Phillips anchored the Green Archers’ charge, pairing timely scoring with clutch defense, while Kean Baclaan and Mason Amos provided consistent perimeter firepower.

Their early dominance, however, ran into the disciplined wall of Korea University in the championship game, where the Tigers pounced from the opening tip en route to a 95-85 victory.

It was a reversal of last year’s script, when La Salle denied Korea U the crown in the 2024 final.

This time, the defending champions found themselves playing catch-up all night, falling behind early and watching the gap stretch to as much as 20 before mounting a belated rally.

Phillips poured in 30 points in a valiant effort, while Baclaan scored 11 of his 21 points in the final quarter to cut the deficit to 12, but the Tigers had enough poise to keep the Green Archers at bay.

Moon Yu-hyeon, the same guard who crushed UP’s hopes earlier in the tournament, delivered the dagger with a late layup that iced the contest.

Still, La Salle’s silver-medal run underlined their depth and composure against international competition, setting the tone for their UAAP Season 88 campaign.

For the University of the Philippines (UP), the tournament served as a trial by fire in their first WUBS appearance.

The Fighting Maroons pushed Korea U to the limit in the eliminations, clawing back from a cold 1-of-19 start to tie the game late before falling, 75-71.

Their classification-round woes continued in a 96-77 loss to the University of Sydney, where poor three-point shooting — just 16 percent — proved too much to overcome.

Terrence Fortea emerged as the consistent bright spot, dropping 18 points against Sydney after a 14-point outing versus Korea U, while Gani Stevens delivered a double-double in the opener.

Despite finishing seventh, UP’s stint offered head coach Goldwin Monteverde a clear lens on adjustments needed ahead of their UAAP title defense.

In the end, Korea University left Tokyo with redemption, La Salle with silver, and UP with a baptism of fire — three different endings, but all underscored by the grind of world-class collegiate basketball.