With only 11 players and their captain sidelined, Team Heart embodied its name and delivered a stunning 95-94 comeback win over the talent-laden Team Hustle in the 2025 NBTC Foot Locker All-Star Game, Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Adamson playmaker Mark Esperanza dished out a clutch assist to EAC sharpshooter Ian Cuajao, who calmly drained the go-ahead corner three—sealing the deal in the annual showcase of the best under-19 Filipino basketball talents.
Team Hustle still had 1.1 seconds left to respond, but Migs Palanca of NU-Nazareth School couldn’t convert on Joaqui Ludovice’s (UST) inbound lob, allowing Team Heart to complete the comeback without their captain Lebron Jhames Daep.
Daep, along with his Perpetual teammate Jan Roluna, withdrew at the last minute as the Jr. Altas focused on their NCAA Season 100 Final Four clash on Monday. Jelomar Rota of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu was also unavailable.
Despite fielding just 11 players, head coach Josh Reyes orchestrated a resilient performance, led by the NBTC’s top-ranked under-19 player, Kieffer Alas.
Ian Cuajao finished with 15 points and five rebounds, while Fil-Am Nation Select-USA standout Angelino Mark was one rebound shy of a double-double, tallying 21 points and nine boards.
Koji Buenaflor, a versatile wing from UST, added 16 points and nine rebounds for Team Heart, who avenged last year’s loss to Team Hustle in the NBTC’s premier grassroots basketball event, backed by MNL Kingpin, Molten, Pocari Sweat, Burlington, Swish, and Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things.
For Team Hustle, Kieffer Alas of De La Salle Zobel led the charge with 18 points under the guidance of NCAA and UAAP champion coach Manu Inigo, while Joaqui Ludovice contributed 21 points and five rebounds.
In the Foot Locker All-Star side events, Fil-Am Nation Select’s Andrew Miller soared to victory in the Dunk Contest, while Team Visayas—composed of Clyver Klir Balucan, Fitz John Cary Gonzales, John Loyd Martinez, and Jake Lordwin Yong—dominated the Shooting Stars Challenge.
Liam Salangsang of FEU-Diliman was crowned the newest Three-Point Shootout King, while Joey Panghulan from Top Flight Hoops-Canada claimed top honors in the Skills Challenge.
Meanwhile, in the Foot Locker Girls’ All-Star Game, Aliyahna Morris delivered 21 points and seven rebounds to power Team Passion past Team Pride, 88-83.
Capping the festivities, the Foot Locker Manila Showcase featured a nail-biting finish as the Global Aspirants edged the Local Prospects, 92-91.
With All-Star Saturday in the books, all eyes now turn to the grand culmination of the NBTC National Finals: the Division 1 title match between Fil-Am Nation Select-USA and Phenom BlueFire-Pasay.
