By: Jerod Orcullo
Ethan Aguas made sure to share in the glory of University of the East’s golden batch.
Aguas, who aged out of the UAAP’s 16-and-under division, played a pivotal role in bringing home another championship — the Manila Live-NBTC 16U championship.
Aguas, a member of UE’s inaugural junior high school team back in UAAP Season 86, was part of the 19-and-under team in the UAAP.
And the 6-foot-4 forward relished his reunion with his former teammates.
“Siyempre thankful ako, thankful ako unang-una sa kanila. Iba kasi yung culture ng 16-under tyaka 19-under, nakisama ako sa kanila — yung culture nila kung pa’no sila naglaro, ginamay ko sila isa-isa sila,” Aguas shared.
“Actually, nakakampi ko naman sila last season, yung mga iba lang, kaso umangat na sila and yun. Thankful lang na binigyan nila ako ng championship.”
However, UE’s victory was far from easy.
The UST Tiger Cubs led for much of the game, and as Aguas explained, it took a late-game push to secure the title.
“Malakas din naman yung UST and kumayod lang talaga kami, lalo na nung latter part ng fourth quarter. Dumipensa lang kami and kinayod lang namin yung dapat naming gawin,” said Aguas.
When the Junior Red Warriors needed someone to step up in the final moments, Aguas rose to the occasion.
Trailing 66-69 with less than a minute remaining, he scored his team’s final seven points, capped off by a game-saving block on UST’s Andwele Cabañero with 27 seconds left.
With two years of eligibility remaining in the senior high ranks, the 16-year-old Aguas reflected on how valuable the tournament experience was for building team chemistry.
UE aims to return to the Final Four after narrowly missing out in Season 87.
“Malaking tulong ‘to lalo na sa exposure. Siyempre dito naman mabi-build lalo yung chemistry namin and yung brotherhood.”
