MANILA, Dec. 4 -- University of the Philippines booked a championship berth Wednesday night following an 82-81 win over University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Terrence Fortea played the hero's role, sinking a three-pointer in the final 48.5 seconds that sent the second-seeded Fighting Maroons to the finals for the fifth straight season.

UP will face the winner between National University and De La Salle University, who are set to meet in a rubber match on Saturday.

Fourth-seeded La Salle pulled off a 87-77 victory over top-seeded and twice-to-beat NU in the semifinals last Wednesday.

"I'm very proud of the team. A team like UST, we really respect their program. We kno...