Highly-touted rookie Collins Akowe admitted that Omar John and former school National University “had their way” as host University of Santo Tomas stumbled to its first loss in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday evening at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The Growling Tigers had entered the matchup off an impressive undefeated start to Season 88.
They’d taken down the past two seasons’ finalists — the UP Fighting Maroons and the DLSU Green Archers — thanks in large part to Akowe, who averaged 24.5 points and 18 rebounds in UST’s dominant victories.
However, the Bulldogs are well aware of the former NU Nazareth School standout’s capabilities. They held Akowe to a season-low five points on 1-of-7 shooting — along with eight rebounds, two assists, two turnovers, and one steal — as UST suffered a narrow 69-76 defeat.
For his part, John — a Gambian center who returned to UAAP play after missing NU’s Season 87 roster — had a field day against Akowe. He finished with a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds, plus three blocks, three assists, and two steals.
“He had his way. I would give him that. I think I didn’t think too much against him, and he did his thing. That’s okay. It’s normal in this game,” the 19-year-old big man told Tiebreaker Times in an exclusive interview.
“No. I would say that let them have their moment. I don’t want to give excuses, but let them have their moment. Coming into the next game, hopefully we do better,” he added.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Akowe had capped a decorated UAAP high school career with the inaugural Best Foreign Student-Athlete award in Season 87, the MVP plum in Season 86, and two silver-medal finishes. He was primed to bolster the Bulldogs’ future — until making the sudden move to Espana with the Growling Tigers.
Despite cherishing his deep roots at NU — from old running mates Mac Alfanta and Jid Locsin to trusted mentors like Jamike Jarin, Jeff Napa, Kevin De Castro, and Leo Pujante — Akowe deliberately kept his circle closed on game day.
He avoided conversations with anyone from the Bulldogs’ camp, before or after the matchup, choosing instead to stay laser-focused on the high-stakes showdown.
That focus, however, was not enough. NU denied Akowe and UST a 3-0 start — the first such start since the Growling Tigers’ finals run in Season 78 back in 2015.
“I didn’t say anything to them. I just stay locked in the game and I don’t want to mention that, but it’s water under the bridge for me. I just want to bounce back for the next game,” the 6-foot-10 center explained.
Rather than dwelling on the stinging defeat, Akowe is shifting his attention to recovery from a nagging flu that has plagued him for nearly a week — an illness he admitted contributed to his subpar performance against the Bulldogs.
“That’s what I am saying, man. I don’t want to give excuses, but I just want to go home and sleep. On the basketball court, I was feeling dizzy. I was just trying to push myself. I just want to sleep — I want to go home, man, but I don’t want to give any excuses,” Akowe shared.
“I would not take this as a loss, but I would take this as a lesson. Coming into our next game, hopefully I’ll be fully recovered by then and I’ll do my thing.”
#WATCH: Collins Akowe admits Omar John “had his way” in their loss to NU 🐯🏀
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/bwsf0vxrvo
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) October 1, 2025
