All it needed was a fierce rally — and some bodily fluid — to stop a juggernaut in University of the Philippines (UP) from sweeping the first round of Season 87 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

Drama and tension soared when Fighting Maroons’ guard Reyland Torres complained that De La Salle University coach Topex Robinson spat at him during the final stretch of the third quarter of their 56-68 loss late Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

UP assistant coach Tom Chua refused to brush aside the disrespect and confronted the La Salle bench for spewing bodily fluid at his player. But Green Archers assistant coach Gian Nazario barked back, nearly sparking a free-for-all brawl that could have led to ejections and suspensions in front of more than 16,000 spectators.

Nobody was penalized but it completely changed the complexion of the match. With UP dropping a sizzling 27-7 rally to tie the count at 42, La Salle was able to regain its bearings with reigning Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao knocking down back-to-back baskets to gain a 49-42 lead in the final 1:26 of the third period.

‘It’s no longer about basketball.’

UP was never the same team again as La Salle asserted its firepower, poise and championship experience in the fourth period to make another run and essay its sixth win in seven games that gave it the top spot entering the second round of this double-round eliminations.

The Fighting Maroons, for their part, fell to second place despite winning their first six games in emphatic fashion. Their loss also means that they will no longer sweep the tournament and the step-ladder format will not be employed.

UAAP commissioner Xavier Nunag was given 48 hours to investigate the incident.

But Torres swore that somebody from the La Salle bench spat at him.

“I passed by Coach Topex. I don’t know why he spat on me. The referee saw it and I was pointing at the evidence that I really got spat at,” said Torres, who helped the Fighting Maroons wage a red-hot run that turned a 15-35 second-quarter deficit into a manageable cushion late in the third, in a report by online news outlet Tiebreaker Times.

“Nobody was there so I was sure that it was Coach Topex. You can even look at the video, nobody was standing there. It was just me and Coach Topex.”

Robinson said he had an exchange with Torres but strongly denied that he spat at the former National University Bullpup.

“Yes, me and Torres exchanged a few words, but I didn’t spit at him,” said Robinson, one of the country’s brilliant young tacticians who knows how to use psychological warfare to change the tempo of the game.

Nazario backed his coach, saying that what happened at center court wasn’t a stroke of a genius but was just brought by emotions and fierce determination to win.

“Actually, I was surprised when coaches were standing up and pointing at each other. So, I also stood up and joined them in pointing,” Nazario quipped, drawing chuckles from the packed press room.

“But kidding aside, of course, emotions were really high at that point. I honestly really don’t know what transpired. I’m just here to protect my coaches as well.”

“When everyone was standing up, I wanted to stand up, I wanted to be united with them. We were just carried by our emotions. I think it was pacified well. Yeah, it’s part of the game.”

But UP coach Goldwin Monteverde refused to buy Robinson and Nazario’s attempt to downplay the incident.

“It’s no longer about basketball. That’s the most important thing,” Monteverde said without further elaborating the messy incident.