MANILA, Philippines – Alex Cabagnot knows clutch when he sees it, and he sees it in Paul Desiderio.

The San Miguel guard has served as a member of University of the Philippines' (UP) coaching staff for two seasons now, and he had a front-row seat on Wednesday when the Fighting Maroons snapped a 32-year drought and advanced to the UAAP Season 81 finals.

It was an exceptionally hard-fought game, which saw UP squander a 16-point lead in the third quarter before pulling off a thrilling 89-87 triumph in overtime.

"For the UP community that has been supporting UP for longer than I have, I'm pretty sure that they are on cloud nine," said Cabagnot. "It feels amazing for me, but it's multiplied at a bigger magnitude to them."

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The hero for UP on Wednesday was veteran guard Desiderio, he of "Atin 'to, papasok 'to" fame. Already a legend in the school for his clutch heroics over the past couple of seasons, Desiderio solidified his legacy by drilling the game-winning jumper with 6.6 seconds left.

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Cabagnot, himself known as a big-time performer in the clutch, was impressed with Desiderio's effort.

"Atin 'to! What can I say," said Cabagnot, who earned the nickname "Crunchman" for his penchant for hitting crucial buckets for the Beermen.

"He's a very soft-spoken and a happy-go-lucky guy. But when it's crunch time, he's assertive. That's the only thing I could ask for," he added.

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Cabagnot said he does not even need to give any instructions to Desiderio come the closing stretch. "He just knows it," he added.

"In his mind, he is trying to carry the whole UP community on his shoulders, and I think he did a great job today," he also said.

Desiderio certainly did Cabagnot proud with his final bucket – an tough jumper over the outstretched arms of Adamson University forward Sean Manganti.

"The play before that, I wanted him to shoot it, and he looked at me. I don't really have a lot to say to him. We just looked at each other and he knew that I wanted him to take that. I'm blessed that he made it," said Cabagnot.

Desiderio finished the game with 16 points, making his last two field goals after going 2-of-18 from the field prior to the final minute of overtime.

It's not just Desiderio that Cabagnot is proud of. The SMB guard hailed the entire UP back court, including Juan Gomez de Liano, Janjan Jaboneta, and Jun Manzo – all of whom had their moments to shine against Adamson. Gomez de Liano, in particular, fired a career-high 30 points.

"They are hard-working. Their work ethic is way beyong their years. Usually players, they feel that they have to work hard later," said Cabagnot.

"These kids though know that now is the time. They are trying to better themselves. We're just guiding them, they do all the work," he added.

"All those guys get to the gym and get their shots up. It's such a fun environment to be in and I'm glad to be a part of it."

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