Just as the colors green and red adorned Filipino households during the Christmas season, it was also the colors that dominated the two biggest men’s collegiate basketball leagues in the Philippines.

De La Salle University stood tall as it won the Season 88 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) while San Beda University emerged as the king of Season 101 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Both programs resisted shortcuts, trusted development and allowed their teams to grow into the season rather than chase perfection early.

While basketball fans spoke about schools like host Mapua University, College of Saint Benilde and even bitter rivals Letran College, San Beda showed everybody why it remains the gold standard of NCAA basketball.

With veterans Yukien Andrada, Bryan Sajonia, Nygel Gonzales and rookie Janti Miller, the Red Lions topped Group B of the new format with a 9-4 win-loss record to clinch one of the coveted twice-to-beat advantages heading into the playoffs.

San Beda then crushed Lyceum of the Philippines University, 91-67, in the quarterfinals and prevailed over last year’s finalist College of Saint Benilde in their best-of-three series in the semifinals.

Standing in the way of the Lions’ ascent to the throne were their longtime rivals, the Knights.

San Beda swept the Knights in their best-of-three championship series with both games ending in lopsided fashion, taking Game 1, 89–70, before clinching the crown with an 83-71 Game 2 victory.

“This is about our identity. The players committed to defending, to trusting the system, and to each other. When you stay true to that, everything else follows,” San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta said as he won his second collegiate title in four years.

While the Lions dominantly conquered the NCAA, La Salle had to claw its way up to its 11th UAAP title.

On paper, the Green Archers had all the tools they needed to dominate the competitions with the likes of Kean Baclaan, Mason Amos, Jacob Cortez and Luis Pablo in the roster.

But once the Season 88 went underway, La Salle blew hot and cold until it finished in fourth place with an 8-6 record.

But instead of faltering, the Archers rose and pulled off an upset over No. 1 seed National University (NU) in the Final Four and overcame a twice-to-win disadvantage to set up a finals rematch with defending champion University of the Philippines (UP).

Both sides split the first two games of the finals with La Salle taking Game 1, 74-70, while UP escaped Game 2 with a 66-63 victory.

In Game 3, the Archers came out on top, 80–72, to not only win the Season 88 title but also emerge victorious in their match-up that started back in 2023.

“We went through a lot together. What kept us going was playing for each other. When you remember what you’ve been through, you don’t waste the opportunity, said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson, who is now a two-time UAAP champion mentor.

As the calendar turns, their banners stand as more than markers of success. They are reminders that in collegiate basketball, winning still favors programs that stay grounded when everything else feels rushed.

In red and green, the 2025 season found its champions, and in their steady rise, the year found its truth.