Marasigan Turns Pain Into Payback as DLSU Reclaims the Crown

The miss still lingered.

For two days, Vhoris Marasigan replayed the final possession of Game 2 in his head. The shot was there. The moment was his. But the ball didn’t fall, and with it went La Salle’s chance to close out the UAAP Season 88 championship early.

“Nung Game Two, sayang yung opportunity,” Marasigan said in an exclusive interview. “Hindi namin nakuha ang championship.”

Instead of shrinking from it, the DLSU wing leaned into the pressure. He made his message clear to his teammates almost immediately.

“Sabi ko sakanila, Game Three, wala nang kasunod ’to. Buhusan na natin lahat.”

Game 3 was winner-take-all. No safety net. No tomorrow.

And Marasigan made sure the pain from Game 2 became fuel.

Trust that never wavered

If there was doubt surrounding Marasigan after the miss, it never came from inside the La Salle locker room. His teammates, especially point guard Jacob Cortez, never pulled away.

“Sobrang tiwala saakin ni Jacob,” Marasigan shared. “After nung Game Two, yung tira ko, yung last shot, sabi niya, ‘Good shot naman ’yun.’”

That trust carried beyond the court. Back at the dorms, the two talked it out like brothers who knew they were far from finished.

“Nung pagkauwi naming ng dorm, nag-usap kami na, ‘Sayang, pre, sayang,’” Marasigan recalled. “Sabi ko, ‘Bawi ako sa Game Three.’”

That promise wasn’t empty.

In the deciding game against the UP Fighting Maroons, Marasigan played with purpose. He stayed aggressive, defended hard, and delivered timely baskets as La Salle slowly wrestled control.

His midrange jumper from the baseline – ironically going out then in, the reverse of his miss in the dying seconds of game two – followed by an and-one finish were the opening acts of La Salle’s game-ending charge.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Green Archers were champions once more and Marasigan had his redemption.

“I told Mike also,” he said. “‘Kailangan natin magtulong-tulong para makuha natin ’to.’”

A full-circle moment against UP

The victory carried extra meaning.

During the offseason, Marasigan seriously considered transferring to UP. The Fighting Maroons were an option. A real one. It was close.

In the end, he chose to stay.

“Nag-stay ako kasi pangarap ko talaga mag-La Salle,” he said. “Sila nagbigay saakin ng opportunity na makapunta dito.”

That decision made the championship sweeter and more ironic. Against the very team he almost sided with, Marasigan helped deliver the title to Taft.

“Binabalik ko lang sakanila yung binigay nila saakin,” he said about La Salle’s managers. “Tinulungan ko lang sila. Nabigyan ko sila ng championship. Ang sarap ng pakiramdam.”

For a player who endured a suspension earlier in the season, absorbed criticism, and lived through the agony of a missed title-clincher, the moment felt earned.

Not done yet

As the confetti fell and the celebrations began, one question lingered: was this the end of Marasigan’s UAAP journey?

His answer came quickly.

“Yeah!” he said, smiling, when asked if he plans to return next season.

For La Salle, that means one thing: one of the team’s toughest, most resilient pieces isn’t going anywhere.

And for Vhoris Marasigan, the lesson of Season 88 is clear. One missed shot doesn’t define you. What you do after does.