Games Saturday:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

1:30 p.m. — FEU vs UE

4:30 p.m. — UP vs La Salle

Gerry Abadiano was an unstoppable force at crunch time.

Limited to just two points in the first three quarters, the grizzled veteran willed defending champion University of the Philippines (UP) to a 79-75 come-from-behind shocker over Ateneo de Manila University for the last Final Four twice-to-beat advantage in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Abadiano scored 16 of his team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter to pull the rug from under the Blue Eagles, who for a while seemed in control after building a 16-point second quarter lead and even held a six-point advantage heading to the last canto.

But Abadiano’s heroics flipped the script as the Fighting Maroons racked up their sixth win in a row for a second-running 10-3 win-loss record. 

UP, which claimed a sixth straight semifinals incentive, will close the elimination round on Sunday against De La Salle University.

Francis Nnoruka had a double-double of 17 points and 15 rebounds to go along with four blocks while Jacob Bayla and Harold Alarcon finished with eight each.

UP went down, 12-28, with under seven minutes left in the second period after a Jared Bahay triple but managed to slowly catch up, falling behind to just 48-54 entering the fourth period.

Abadiano gave the Fighting Maroons a 60-58 lead with 6:18 left with a personal 6-0 run. He then put UP ahead, 74-66, with 1:23 left before the Fighting Maroons held on for a sixth straight Battle of Katipunan win.

The Blue Eagles suffered a second straight loss and slid to a 5-7 record, tied with Far Eastern University.

Bahay had 21 points and Kymani Ladi contributed 17 markers and eight rebounds for Ateneo.

Meanwhile, Adamson University kept its flickering Final Four hopes alive with a gritty escape over De La Salle University, 61-60, in the first game. 

Back-to-back jumpers by Mathew Montebon gave the Falcons enough separation to cushion the Green Archers’ desperate final push, breathing a sigh of relief when Earl Abadam missed a potential game-winning three at the buzzer for a 6-7 slate.

“We’re just happy to be still alive. We made it clear in the dugout that if you want to live another day, you have really no choice but to win the game… In the end, it will just boil down to whoever wants it more,” Falcons head coach Nash Racela.