Adamson University dispatched the University of Santo Tomas, 87-76, to earn a share of third place in the UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Baby Falcons and the Tiger Cubs are now tied at 6-3 in the standings.
Meanwhile, the University of the East avoided a potential third straight defeat after pulling off a thrilling 72-69 victory over winless De La Salle Zobel (0-9) in the opening game of the six-match slate.
The Junior Warriors improved to 5-4 for solo fifth place.
It was an impressive showing for Adamson, which snapped UST’s four-game winning streak.
Holding a slim 36-34 advantage at halftime, the Baby Falcons began to pull away in the third quarter as Vengcs Vengco, Edison Jordan, Keefy Iledan, Fran Flores, Seb Esma, and Majiq Padrejuan combined for a 63-49 cushion with less than a minute left in the period.
In the fourth, Adamson widened the gap, leading by as much as 77-58 off Flores’ back-to-back layups and Uno Del Monte’s three-pointer, effectively sealing the game with 6:37 remaining.
Redemption was the theme for the Baby Falcons, who avenged their heartbreaking 87-86 loss to UST in their first-round meeting last October 18.
“All throughout the week, after that game, we always had to instill in them — ‘one point, one point.’ We don’t want that again,” said Baby Falcons head coach Dante Tengco. “Even if we won by one point, it’s fine as long as we say that we’re not supposed to lose this time. The boys became men today and really answered the call, so thank you for that.”
Flores led Adamson with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. Jordan added 17 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Esma also chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Iledan tallied a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For the Tiger Cubs, CJ Tabbuga stood out the most with 26 points while Rowie Cabañero neared a triple-double with 15 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Gab Castro also had 12 points and nine rebounds for UST.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
In the earlier game, the Junior Archers seemed poised for an upset after Isaac Purugganan and Jullian Pangan’s free throws gave DLSZ a 66-61 cushion with 2:41 left.
But the Junior Warriors responded in stunning fashion.
Austin Delos Santos’ layup, James Mesa’s free throw, and Mark Perdigon’s clutch triple turned the tide, putting UE ahead 67-66 with 1:22 remaining.
DLSZ had a chance to reclaim the lead, but Enzo Purugganan missed a three-pointer and a layup following his steal off Perdigon — only for the latter to recover defensively and deny the easy basket.
Perdigon then buried another triple to give UE a 70-66 lead with 25.8 seconds left. Enzo Purugganan answered with his own three despite Goodluck Okebata’s tight defense, trimming the gap to 70-69 with 23 ticks to go.
In the ensuing play, Delos Santos calmly sank both free throws after being fouled, restoring a three-point cushion with 17 seconds left.
The Junior Archers’ hopes of forcing overtime faded when Ice Purugganan turned the ball over, sealing UE’s escape win.
Despite the victory, Junior Warriors head coach Matthew Sia expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance, particularly their lapses in the third quarter when DLSZ led by as much as 55-45 off Enzo Purugganan’s back-to-back treys.
“To tell you the truth guys, I’m not happy with our win,” said Sia. “Siyempre, nung start of the fourth, I was telling the boys when we were down 10, gumawa kayo ng paraan. Nag-adjust kami sa defense. Thankfully, naman naka-stops kami. I’m glad we won, but I’m not happy with that win.”
Okebata led UE with a monster double-double of 26 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks. Delos Santos added 13 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
Perdigon, who missed all six of his three-point attempts prior to the fourth quarter, finished with 12 points — highlighted by his two clutch triples — along with four assists.
UE also dominated DLSZ in their first-round meeting last October 15, 89-66.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For the Junior Archers, Enzo Purugganan led the charge with 26 points, while Pangan added 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Ice Purugganan chipped in 12 points, five assists, and five rebounds, while Wayne Rivera finished with four points and 10 boards. La Salle fell to 0-9, with an average losing margin of 16.67 points.
All four teams will return to action at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Adamson faces FEU-Diliman on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by La Salle taking on National University-Nazareth School at 9:30 a.m.
On November 5, UE will battle Ateneo de Manila University at 7:30 a.m., while UST takes on the University of the Philippines Integrated School at 9:30 a.m.
The Scores:
First Game
UE (72) – Okebata 26, Delos Santos 13, Perdigon 12, Felizmenia 9, Mallabo 5, Mercado 3, Pontipedra 3, Mesa 1, Aguilar 0, Ancheta 0.
DLSZ (69) – E. Purugganan 26, Pangan 21, I. Purugganan 12, Mindanao 6, Rivera 4, Dizon 0, Quillo 0, Delos Reyes 0, Meloto 0, Asis 0.
Quarterscores: 18-16, 34-33, 45-55, 72-69.
Second Game (16U)
AdU (87) – Flores 19, E. Jordan 17, Esma 15, Iledan 10, Vengco 8, A. Jordan 7, Del Monte 5, Padrejuan 4, Abas 2, Maycong 0, Caintic 0.
UST (76) – Tabbuga 26, Cabanero 15, Castro 12, Anggot 9, Datu 7, Jubilado 5, Regala 2, Duenas 0, Villacarlos 0, Retaga 0, Guinto 0.
Quarterscores: 23-15, 36-34, 65-52, 87-76.
