The two most recent Division 1 champions will face off against each other as Fil-Am Nation Select-USA and NUNS-Manila advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 Smart-NBTC National Finals after overcoming their respective opponents, Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Fil-Am Nation, which clinched its first-ever championship last year, eliminated the last remaining NCAA team, Arellano-Manila, with an 84-67 victory.
Angelino Mark continued to shine, posting a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Caelum Harris also had a breakout performance, scoring 12 points along with three blocks and two steals.
After a close first quarter, the US-based squad went on a 28-13 run to secure their place in the SM Supermalls Fearless 4 and continue their title defense.
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Meanwhile, the Bullpups made quick work of the upstarts from Nueva Ecija, i-Achievers Modern College, securing a dominant 92-60 win.
NUNS saw three players reach double figures, with Mac Alfanta leading the way with 11 points. Jid Locsin contributed 10 points, seven assists, three steals, and two rebounds, while Ain Usop also added 10 points.
With the game already out of reach, the Bullpups made the result inevitable, going on a 30-6 run in the third quarter to seal their semifinal spot in the grassroots program, which is sponsored by MNL Kingpin, Molten, Pocari Sweat, Burlington, Swish, and Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things.
Looking ahead to the semifinals on Friday at the same Pasay venue, Fil-Am Nation will face a tough challenge from NUNS, which is aiming for a three-peat after winning the title in both 2019 and 2023.
In the other bracket, Cebu teams were eliminated as Phenom Blue Fire-Pasay and UST-Manila secured wins.
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Matthew Jucom led Phenom Blue Fire to a 91-81 victory over the University of Southern Philippines Foundation, contributing 20 points. Kieffer Alas also played a crucial role with 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Pasay-based squad controlled the game for most of the match, building an 18-point lead (75-57) with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Baby Panthers made a late push, cutting the deficit to just seven (77-84).
Bonn Daja kept Phenom Blue Fire’s lead intact in the final minutes, finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds.
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The newly-crowned UAAP boys’ basketball champions, the Tiger Cubs, barely escaped with an 82-80 win over a determined Team Khalifa.
Charles Bucsit and his teammates refused to become the second consecutive UAAP team to fall to the Cebuanos, as Bucsit hit six three-pointers on his way to 21 points.
UST held a six-point lead late in the game, but Jake Yong and Johncel Borjal cut the deficit to just two with back-to-back baskets.
Team Khalifa even had a chance to steal the game, but Yong’s last-second three-point attempt missed, and UST held on for the win.
