Kieffer Alas of De La Salle-Zobel and Barby Dajao of University of Santo Tomas capped off the UAAP Season 87 High School Basketball Boys’ and Girls’ Tournaments, respectively, as the top Filipino performers in the statistical points (SPs) race at the end of the elimination round.
Alas, a 6-foot-2 Grade 11 guard, emerged as the top local student-athlete in the boys’ division with 91.429 SPs. His numbers — 20.07 points, 11.14 rebounds, 4.93 assists, and 1.07 steals per game over 14 outings — led the Junior Archers to a 6-8 record, placing them sixth in the standings.
Meanwhile, Dajao, a Grade 12 guard from Bacolod City, led the girls’ division with 105.5 SPs. She averaged 15.17 points, 10.17 rebounds, 6.17 assists, and 4.33 steals per game while steering the Junior Growling Tigresses to an impressive 6-0 sweep of the elimination round.
Both Alas and Dajao needed standout performances on the final day of eliminations to secure the top spot.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
In the boys’ division, Alas battled Far Eastern University-Diliman’s Cabs Cabonilas, who held a slight lead in the race before their final match-up.
With the lead in the SP race on the line, Alas delivered 16 points, 14 rebounds, and five steals, while Cabonilas recorded nine points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal.
DLSZ also secured a 71-61 victory over FEU-D, solidifying Alas’ place atop the local rankings.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
A similar scenario unfolded in the girls’ division, where Dajao trailed National University Nazareth School’s Zaydhen Rosano heading into the final game.
However, Dajao put up a 15-point, 15-rebound, 11-assist triple-double, along with a steal and a block, in UST’s 91-66 win over the Lady Bullpups, overtaking Rosano in the SP standings.
Rosano finished with eight points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, and three steals.
Cabonilas placed third in the boys’ division, second among locals, with 90.071 SPs, while Rosano settled for second in the girls’ division with 105.167 SPs.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Leading the overall SP race was National University Nazareth School’s Nigerian center Collins Akowe, who tallied 105.786 SPs.
The Season 86 MVP averaged 20.79 points, 19.21 rebounds, 2.71 assists, and 1.79 blocks per game.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
UST’s Senegalese forward Racine Kane ranked fourth in the boys’ division with 88.0 SPs, followed by Adamson’s Mark Esperanza (76.385 SPs) in fifth and UP Integrated School’s Ethan Egea (66.643 SPs) in sixth.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
In the girls’ division, DLSZ’s Erica De Luna finished third with 102.167 SPs, UST’s Rhiane Perez placed fourth with 98.25, NUNS’s Aubrey Lapasaran came in fifth with 91.167, and UST’s Katrina Insoy rounded out the top six with 68.667 SPs.
