De La Salle Zobel hung tough down the stretch to escape with a thrilling 93–90 overtime win over University of Santo Tomas, securing the bronze medal in the 15U division of the 2026 Milcu Sports Got Skills basketball tournament over the weekend at the Greenhills West Gym in San Juan City.
Mikko Noel ignited the offense, while David Dizon took over in overtime to lift the Junior Archers to a morale-boosting victory — part of their buildup for Season 89 of the UAAP U16 junior high school boys’ tournament in August.
Noel erupted for 33 points on an efficient 12-of-19 shooting clip before fouling out late in regulation. With Noel sidelined, Dizon stepped up in crunch time, pouring in eight of the team’s 11 points in overtime to seal the win for head coach Hyram Bagatsing, alongside assistants LA Revilla, Joshua Webb, and Thomas Torres.
Prior to facing the Tiger Cubs, the Junior Archers swept all seven games in the elimination round before suffering a heartbreaking 74–71 loss to San Beda University-Rizal in the semifinals on April 12.
The Red Cubs, however, failed to capture the title, falling to San Beda-Alabang, 76–54, in the championship game.
Also instrumental in Zobel’s podium finish were Alfonso Mercado and Andrei Francisco, while Iggy de Lara and Enzo Montes provided valuable minutes and defensive presence.
Mercado chipped in 17 points in nearly 30 minutes of action, while Francisco added 12 points in over 32 minutes. Their performances highlight the firepower, depth, and balance of the DLSZ squad as it gears up for the UAAP season, aiming to bounce back from a forgettable 0–14 campaign last year.
