The University of the Philippines waited a week to get its sweet payback.

It was well worth it as the Fighting Maroons served ice-cold revenge over defending champion Ateneo de Manila University, 65-60, for a firm hold of the solo lead in the UAAP Season 86 men's basketball tournament Sunday night.

Gerry Abadiano put on a show in the absence of CJ Cansino, who was under the weather, as he scored 22 points, including the game-sealing pair of free throws to give UP its eighth win in nine outings, witnessed by a 17,406-strong crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Fighting Maroons evened their elimination round head-to-head against the Blue Eagles, who handed them a stinging 89-99 overtime loss to end the first round.

"It took a while for us to get our rhythm offensively. We were a little bit in a hurry in the first quarter but good thing our defense held up," UP coach Goldwin Monteverde said.

"I felt that in the end, we were more patient offensively, we were really executing our offense and at least we got back in the game," he added.

UP overcame the Blue Eagles' 12-0 run that erased their 54-42 lead which tied the game at 54 with 5:55 left.

Harold Alarcon, Francis Lopez and Abadiano put together a 9-3 blitz for a 63-57 lead. Mason Amos answered with a triple to push Ateneo within three, 63-60, with 42.9 seconds left.

The Blue Eagles had a chance to tie or inch closer, but Joseph Obasa missed his layup at point-blank range as Abadiano grabbed the defensive board and was taken to the line.

Lopez had 10 points, Alarcon also finished with 10 markers, while reigning Most Valuable Player Malick Diouf had a double-double of 10 points and 17 rebounds he laced with three steals and two blocks for UP, which also played sans Cagulangan, who was nursing a hamstring injury.

Terrence Fortea played his first game for UP after recovering from a right knee injury and chipped in seven points in almost 11 minutes of action.

The Blue Eagles absorbed their second straight defeat to slide to a 4-5 slate tied with Adamson University.

In the first game, Adamson University weathered a late storm mounted by Far Eastern University, 63-54, to arrest a three-game slide.

The Falcons kept their Final Four hopes alive as they improved to a 4-5 slate at fifth spot while pulling the Tamaraws down to a tie at sixth to seventh with University of the East, each with a 3-6 card.

Adamson built a 19-point lead heading into the payoff period but FEU sank back-to-back three-pointers to cut their deficit to six with 20.1 seconds left.