DOJ Barkada and Protego will play for the Hoopsilonians Hardcourt Fellowship title on Sunday, March 8, at the Epsilon Chi Center.

The two teams split the first two games of their finals series, with DOJ Barkada drawing first blood on Feb. 22, slipping past Protego, 78-73.

Protego came back strong a week later, beating their rivals 60-43.

DOJ Barkada 78, Protego 73

In Game 1, DOJ Barkada secured the early advantage in the series behind a balanced offensive effort.

Esdee Dulay 2012 led DOJ Barkada with 20 points, hitting four three-pointers and adding four rebounds and two assists.

Bam Manahan 2020 provided strong support with 18 points, including five three-pointers, while David Andres 2013 contributed 15 points and six rebounds.

DOJ Barkada led through each quarter and kept Protego at bay pretty much the entire game.

Jacob Ang 2018 led Protego with 22 points and 13 rebounds, and anchored the team’s efforts inside the paint.

Dan Salvador 2007 added 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Red Tomas 2020 chipped in 12 points.

Protego had a run late in the game, but DOJ Barkada maintained its composure in the closing minutes to secure the five-point win.

Protego 60, DOJ Barkada 43

Protego bounced back decisively in Game 2 on March 1, tightening its defense and limiting DOJ Barkada’s scoring opportunities.

Red Tomas 2020 led Protego with 16 points and 16 rebounds, controlling the paint on both ends of the floor.

Jacob Ang 2018 added 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Dan Salvador 2007 contributed 14 points as Protego steadily built separation during the second half.

The game remained competitive through the first three quarters, but Protego’s defense held DOJ Barkada to just 43 points in the game, allowing them to pull away in the fourth quarter.

For DOJ Barkada, David Andres 2013 and Kim Flores 2013 each scored 7 points, while Esdee Dulay 2012 added 6 points.