Beyond University of Santo Tomas’ unbeaten start in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament, sophomore forward Amiel Acido walked out of the SMART Araneta Coliseum with more than just a victory — he carried the pride of his roots and the program that molded him.
Following a come-from-behind 93-84 triumph over title favorite De La Salle University — UST’s first win over the Green Archers in 10 years — Acido expressed pride in facing former high school teammate Lebron Jhames Daep.
Originally part of McJour Luib’s Tiger Cubs program before the ‘infamous’ Sorsogon Bubble, Acido and Daep transferred to the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, leading the Junior Altas to a championship appearance in 2024.
No longer teammates, they now found themselves on opposite sides of the court, beaming with pride as they realized their lifelong dream of playing for perennial UAAP title contenders.
“Sobrang saya ko kasi isa ito sa mga pangarap namin ‘eh. Napapag-usapan lang namin ito dati nung mag-teammates pa kami. We’re very happy with the match-up na nangyari kanina,” Acido, who recorded 13 points and six rebounds against Daep and La Salle, told Tiebreaker Times in an exclusive interview.
“Sabay kasi kami pumasok ng Perpetual ‘eh, nung 2023. First year namin, ‘yon siguro yung best memory namin yung nag-Finals kami sa NCAA juniors,” he added.
As the MVP in the last two editions of NCAA juniors’ hoops, it was no surprise that Acido and Daep would eventually fulfill their dreams of competing against the likes of Jared Bahay, Jake Figueroa, Precious Momowei, and Harold Alarcon in the UAAP.
What further helped the towering duo realize their aspirations was the guidance of Perpetual juniors’ basketball head coach Joph Cleopas — a former assistant to Aldin Ayo — who led the Junior Altas to the Season 100 title during Daep’s final year in the program.
“Grabe yung pag-guide sa amin ni coach Joph talaga. Sa mga previous coach namin bago si coach Joph, sobrang thankful kami sa kanila dahil ginabayan nila kami at linabas nila totoong potential namin,” the Antipolo native shared.
“Sa akin kasi is always do your best talaga. Kahit saan ‘man ako mapunta, ayoko na hindi binibigay yung 100-percent ko kahit saan ‘man. At gusto ko gampanan lang ng maayos yung role ko at gusto ko maka-contribute sa team,” he continued.
Echoing his sentiments, Daep credited Cleopas for transforming Perpetual into an established winning juniors’ basketball program. In his first collegiate matchup against Acido, Daep found himself limited to three points and one rebound in 12 minutes and 13 seconds of play.
“Natutuwa ako para sa kanya kasi grabe yung improvement niya and napapakita niya yung galing niya. Yung produkto ng Perpetual, talagang lumalaki kaya natutuwa ako para sa kanya,” Daep, the NCAA Season 100 juniors’ basketball MVP, shared.
“Masasabi ko lang kasi si coach Joph — siya talaga yung nagbibigay ng magandang sistema and nakakahanap siya ng mga player na handang gawin kahit ano sa court at nabibigyan niya ng magandang role.”
#WATCH: ALTAS FOREVER 🔺
Amiel Acido proud of Lebron Jhames Daep—proof that Perpetual’s juniors program works 🐯🏀
📹 @ernesttuazon /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/Kctscf56Bi
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 27, 2025
