There’s a popular adage that goes “Pressure burst pipes — or it makes diamonds” and after Game 2 of the UAAP Season 87 Finals, there’s no question that the DLSU Green Archers have a diamond in Matt Rubico.
Through some help from Rubico–and a lot of Kevin Quiambao heroics–the reigning UAAP champion Green Archers beat the UP Fighting Maroons by a point, 76-75, in a thrilling come-from-behind victory that forced a winner-take-all Game 3.
Rubico’s night through the lens of the box score was rather pedestrian–one missed three-pointer, an assist, a turnover, and a foul in four minutes of play–yet his actual impact on the game was massive.
With 8:06 left to play in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and potentially La Salle’s season, head coach Topex Robinson made a gutsy decision to field in Rubico for the first time in the contest–popularly known in the Philippines as a ‘magic bunot.’
The rookie point guard checked in for Josh David, who had just committed his third foul, much to the surprise of observers at the Mall of Asia Arena. It was a major gamble by Robinson, but DLSU’s usual backup point guard, Lian Ramiro, was struggling and there were not many better options available with their campaign on the line.

UP was in the midst of a 14-5 run bridging the third and fourth quarters that gave them an eight-point lead, 65-57, when Rubico entered the match. La Salle was uncharacteristically rushing shots and committing sloppy turnovers–while somewhat characteristically missing free throws–during this run that lost them control of the game. It seemed all but certain at that point that a blowout win and in effect, the championship, was on the horizon for the Fighting Maroons.
However, DLSU’s prized recruit changed all of that and was undoubtedly ‘magic.’
The 19-year-old Rubico looked unusually confident—call it swagger—for a third stringer who had yet to see action and instantly repaid Robinson’s confidence in him. Amidst the raucous sellout crowd of 17,112 people and the pressure-packed moment, the rookie guard steadied the collapsing Green Archers and put them in a position to steal the win. He played the role of a point guard in the most textbook way possible, calmly initiating DLSU’s offense and maximizing the team’s possessions.
During Rubico’s four-minute fourth quarter stint, La Salle committed only one of the 17 turnovers that they tallied during the game. While that one turnover was credited to Rubico, what happened in that sequence was actually no fault of his. He delivered a crisp pass in transition to a streaking JC Macalalag, who cramped up as he was attempting to catch the ball, causing it to go out of bounds.
Rubico also played excellent defense on JD Cagulangan, picking him up full court and making him have to work to get to his spots. This helped wear down the UP star who played a game-high 37 minutes in Game 2. After an 11-point third quarter, Cagulangan went on to score a mere three points on one-of-five field goals in the fourth period.
By the time David checked back in for Rubico with 3:51 left to play, La Salle still trailed by seven, 73-66, but what was supposedly a looming blowout win of the Fighting Maroons was averted. The Green Archers remained within striking distance, which is all that a team with a player on the level of Quiambao, the reigning two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player, needs to keep its hopes of a comeback alive.
DLSU indeed capitalized on the situation and closed the game with a 10-2 run, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from the brilliant Quiambao. Had the Fighting Maroons’ lead been any larger, La Salle might not have had the margin for error—especially with their dismal 10-of-23 shooting from the free-throw line—to mount a successful comeback.
Robinson praised Rubico’s performance in the post-game press conference, highlighting the trust that he has in his first-year player and applauding the readiness that he showed when his number was called late in the game.
It will be interesting to see how Robinson handles the Green Archers’ backcourt rotation, particularly following this stint by Rubico, in the winner-take-all Game 3 scheduled for this Sunday, December 15. This decision could wind up tilting the outcome of the game in either way as it is directly linked to the team’s handling of Cagulangan who is the heart and soul of UP’s offense.
Regardless of the outcome of these UAAP Finals though, the future of La Salle is bright with Rubico on board. He plays with a maturity that is beyond his years and has shown that he can contribute even in the toughest of situations.
DLSU does have a pair of elite point guards coming in next year in Jacob Cortez and Kean Baclaan, but Rubico should still find his way into a decent role for this team given Robinson’s willingness to deploy dual point guard line-ups. Last year’s La Salle team often had any two of David, Evan Nelle, and Mark Nonoy on the floor and this precedent is a glimpse of what could be next season.
This performance of Rubico–in a world full of near mid-court shots, powerful dunks, and even four-pointers–was a reminder of the immense value that a steady point guard brings to a team, especially in perilous moments. It goes without saying that Rubico is no longer just a diamond in the rough for DLSU, he is a pristinely cut GIA-graded diamond that other teams will be on the lookout for. Rubico changed Game 2 of the UAAP 87 Finals for La Salle, but this should be just the first of many memorable performances from him in the team’s fabled green and white threads.
