By: Joaquin Cortez
A new champion will be crowned in the 2026 eFIBA x UAAP eGilas Talent Discovery Tournament presented by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas after Adamson University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, and National University clinched their Final Four berths on Monday at MVP Studios in Mandaluyong City.
Adamson swept all six of its matchups to finish the group stage undefeated with nine points, highlighted by a pair of victories that eliminated two-time defending champion Ateneo de Manila University.
The Soaring Falcons also handed the Green Aces their first losses of the tournament to claim the top spot in Group B.
Meanwhile, La Salle settled for second place in Group B with six points on a 4-2 record after the second day of competition.
The semifinals and grand finals are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, at MVP Studios. UST will face La Salle at 10:30 AM, followed by Adamson taking on NU at 12:30 PM.
The grand finals will begin at 3:30 PM, with both the semifinals and finals following a best-of-three format.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Adamson snapped La Salle’s unbeaten run with a 62-43 victory in the opening game before completing the sweep with a 60-50 win in the rematch.
“Para sa akin, there are still best-of-twos that we have to fully lock in, so our focus is one game at a time,” Enzell Banaag said. “Now, we are celebrating the win; we’re happy, but there is still one more day.”
Holding a slim 22-21 lead in the first game, Adamson broke the contest open with an 18-4 run spanning two quarters. Sean Dela Cruz capped the surge with a midrange jumper that stretched the Falcons’ advantage to 15 midway through the third period, 40-25.
The Soaring Falcons maintained their double-digit cushion down the stretch, with Banaag drilling a left-corner triple to put the finishing touches on the victory with 2:26 remaining, 59-33.
Adamson tightened its defensive pressure in the second game, unleashing an 8-0 run capped by Jan LeBron Gacula’s dunk. That turned a narrow two-point lead into a nine-point cushion before halftime, 28-19.
La Salle attempted to mount a late comeback in the final period, but Aaron Advincula delivered the finishing blow with a wide-open dunk at the 1:47 mark to seal the victory and complete Adamson’s sweep.
“Uso na ngayon ‘yung parang 3-1 leads, so we’re treating every game na parang game 7,” Advincula said. “When we came to the tournament, no one had us as number one. We just have to keep the momentum going moving forward.”
The Soaring Falcons also ended Ateneo’s two-year reign in the tournament earlier in the day, dismantling the Blue Eagles, 73-40 and 74-43, to secure their Final Four berth.
Following Paolo Medina’s departure, the Blue Eagles struggled to replicate their previous success, finishing fourth in Group B with one win and five losses.
Needing just one more win to eliminate the back-to-back champions, the Soaring Falcons seized control before halftime in the opening game, with Dela Cruz converting two free throws to give Adamson a 26-19 cushion.
The Soaring Falcons continued their offensive onslaught after the break, stretching their advantage to 51-32 entering the final period. Dela Cruz then punctuated Adamson’s dominant showing with a fastbreak slam to seal the 33-point rout and send the Falcons into the Final Four.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Meanwhile, UST stamped its dominance in Group A, sweeping FEU with commanding 84-55 and 92-54 victories to secure the top spot in the standings.
The Teletigers came out firing in the opening game, with Miguel Hubillar’s 19-point first-half outburst powering UST to a 41-26 halftime lead. The Tigers maintained their cushion after the break, as Hubillar buried a long-range triple to put the finishing touches on the victory.
In the second game, UST held FEU to just four points in the opening period to build a commanding 30-4 lead. An alley-oop finish by Eryx Delos Reyes stretched the Teletigers’ advantage to 37 points, putting the game firmly out of reach before halftime at 50-13.
Delos Reyes led UST with 39 points in the second game, while Hubillar recorded a double-double with 33 points and 11 assists.
“I came to the tournament with a goal, which is to be consistent always. I am happy naman na sa bawat panalo namin, kahit may talo kami sa NU, napapakita ko na I’m showing up for my team and [sana] tuloy-tuloy ‘to hanggang finals,” Hubillar said.
As UST heads into the semifinals, the Season 4 eFIBA World Championship Finals MVP remains confident in the Teletigers’ chances of claiming the title, regardless of their next opponent.
“Kung La Salle man or Adamson, I mean, they’re both good teams, but not compared to me. So kahit sinong defense nila, I’m gonna come at them,” he added.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
In the opening game of Monday’s six-game slate, NU secured its semifinal berth by sweeping University of the Philippines, 57-46 and 94-43, behind John Reyes’ explosive scoring.
UP kept the first game competitive, as Andreus Javier knocked down a triple to cut NU’s lead to nine, 34-25. However, the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half behind Reyes’ 28-point, eight-assist performance to secure an 11-point victory.
NU delivered an even more dominant showing in the second game, unleashing a decisive 20-4 run capped by Reyes’ triple to build a commanding 46-19 lead with a minute remaining before halftime.
The Fighting Maroons could not recover from the deficit after the break. Reyes erupted for 34 points and 10 three-pointers to power NU to a 94-43 rout and complete the sweep.
Four of NU’s five starters scored in double figures in the second game, led by Reyes’ 34-point outburst. Neil Enriquez added 28 points, while Lyonn Banzon chipped in 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Dunn Visitacion contributed 10 points, while John Constantino hauled down 12 rebounds and finished with five points.
UP later bounced back by sweeping FEU, 73-38 and 63-48, but the twin victories were not enough to propel the Fighting Maroons into the semifinals.
Earlier in the day, Ateneo split its two-game series against University of the East amid technical delays that disrupted both encounters. The Blue Eagles drew first blood with a 62-58 victory before the Red Warriors bounced back with a 67-48 win.
