Fran Flores erupted for a career-high 31 points as Adamson University asserted its dominance over defending champion University of the East, 84-71, to solidify its hold on fourth place in the UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Basketball Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Eager to prove that their narrow 83-82 overtime first-round win against the Junior Warriors was no fluke, the Baby Falcons relied on the all-around brilliance of Flores.
He scored 31 points on five triples and 11-of-19 shooting from the field, adding four rebounds, four assists, four steals, and four blocks.
With the 16-year-old Cebuano guard leading the charge, Adamson maintained its grip on solo fourth place in the eight-team field with a 5-3 record. It also added a one-game cushion over UE, which fell to an even 4-4 slate after suffering its second straight defeat and third loss in four outings.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
In the other game, University of Santo Tomas secured its fourth consecutive victory with a commanding 97-82 triumph over winless De La Salle Zobel.
“Quite honestly, yung naging rason kung bakit ganito yung performance namin is not only because of the five players inside, ngayon, whoever we put inside, almost everybody was in a positive manner and they gave their all,” Baby Falcons head coach Dante Tongco said.
Adamson built on a strong 23-14 opening quarter and stayed in control in the second frame. Timely baskets from Edison Jordan and a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Flores gave them a 46-33 halftime lead — a deficit UE struggled to overcome.
The Baby Falcons maintained a 13-point cushion into the final quarter, with Flores converting back-to-back layups to extend the lead to 76-58.
The Junior Warriors mounted one last rally with a 10-2 run — capped by an and-one layup from MVP frontrunner Goodluck Okebata and an inside basket by Juan Mallabo — cutting the deficit to 78-68 with 1:52 remaining.
However, Flores sank a clutch stepback jumper from beyond the arc, followed by a three-pointer from Kieff Iledan. That pushed Adamson’s lead to 84-68 with 46 seconds left and effectively sealing their fifth win in eight outings.
Iledan backed up Flores with 17 points and nine rebounds, along with three assists. Meanwhile, Edison Jordan contributed eight points, five rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
After back-to-back first-round losses, the Tiger Cubs bounced back with four straight wins behind the all-around efforts of Miguel Jubilado, CJ Tabbuga, and Wayne Anggot.
They climbed to 6-2, tying the Far Eastern University-Diliman Baby Tamaraws for second place.
“Paulit-ulit lang kami na kahit maganda tinatakbo namin, dapat i-lessen pa yung turnovers nila. Tsaka yung kumpyansa dapat na huwag kalimutan mag-share ng ball. Kung sino yung open, siya yung titira. Ganon naman kami sa sistema namin at may mga minimal mistakes lang na need linisin,” UST assistant coach Kris Demata said.
A floater by John Mindanao kept the Junior Archers within striking distance at 52-44 in the third quarter. But the Tiger Cubs broke the game open with a decisive 19-4 run — highlighted by back-to-back inside baskets from Dave Regala and Hanns Villacarlos, plus a triple from Wayne Anggot — creating a 68-46 lead that proved insurmountable.
That third-quarter surge provided all the cushion UST needed. Consecutive inside hits by Gab Castro and Jubilado helped maintain an 84-64 advantage with less than 5:30 left in the fourth quarter.
Jubilado led six UST players in double figures with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, adding five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. Tabbuga contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, and three steals before fouling out at 2:41 of the fourth.
Anggot added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting with four rebounds and two steals, Castro had 13 points and seven rebounds, and Regala provided 12 points and nine rebounds.
Rowie Cabañero — the current MVP runner-up behind UE’s Goodluck Okebata — rounded out UST’s balanced attack with 11 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For UE, Okebata led with 14 points and 15 rebounds, including three blocks, one steal, and one assist.
Mark Perdigon added 14 points, five assists, three rebounds, and one steal. Meanwhile, Hero Delos Santos chipped in 12 points, five assists, two steals, and two rebounds in the losing effort.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Enzo Purugganan paced DLSZ (0-8) with 21 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Jullian Pangan posted a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The Scores:
Third Game
AdU (84) – Flores 31, Iledan 17, E. Jordan 8, Del Monte 6, Esma 5, A. Jordan 5, Abas 4, Padrejuan 4, Vengco 2, Maycong 2, Pleyto 0, Mangahas 0, Caintic 0, Vargas 0, Adrade 0.
UE (71) – Perdigon 14, Okebata 14, Delos Santos 12, Aguilar 7, Felizmenia 7, Mesa 6, Mallabo 5, Roxas 4, Ancheta 2.
Quarterscores: 23-14, 46-33, 68-55, 84-71.
Fourth Game
UST (97) – Jubilado 17, Tabbuga 15, Anggot 14, Castro 13, Regala 12, Cabanero 11, Datu 5, Villacarlos 5, Demata 2, Retaga 2, Guinto 1, Duenas 0, Bathan 0.
DLSZ (82) – E. Purugganan 21, Pangan 18, Mindanao 13, I. Purugganan 11, Rivera 10, Quillo 2, Meloto 2, Sy 2, Dumana 2, Dizon 1, Mercado 0, De Lara 0, Solis 0, Delos Reyes 0, Asis 0.
Quarterscores: 25-18, 50-40, 75-58, 97-82.
