De La Salle University continued its dominance at the Moro Lorenzo Gym, securing a commanding 89-77 victory over Ateneo de Manila University in the 2025 Asiabasket College Campus Tour final, Sunday.
The Green Archers, who had previously defeated Ateneo 95-92 in the elimination round on March 30, put together a far more dominant performance this time around.
They controlled the game from start to finish, leading for most of the contest and even building a 16-point advantage at one point.
Jacob Cortez was the standout player in the final, finishing with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, along with six assists.
“It feels good, but I want to credit the whole team — their energy is contagious,” said Cortez, a transferee from San Beda.
Supporting Cortez were team captain Mike Phillips, who posted 12 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks; Kean Baclaan, who contributed 11 points, four assists, and three rebounds; and EJ Gollena, who added 11 points.
La Salle quickly seized control of the game, jumping to a 20-8 lead. Ateneo fought back in the second quarter, narrowing the gap to 42-35 at halftime.
However, La Salle’s offensive firepower proved too much, and they pulled away to a dominant win.
As a team, La Salle shot 48% from the field and capitalized on Ateneo’s 20 turnovers, converting them into 23 points.
Former Blue Eagle Mason Amos struggled, shooting just 1-of-9 from the field for three points.
La Salle finished the tournament undefeated.
For Ateneo, Kymani Ladi led the way with 22 points, while Shawn Tuano added 17 points and Divine Adili contributed 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Both teams will have a busy few months ahead.
La Salle will compete in the 2025 Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup and the 2025 World University Basketball Series.
Ateneo, meanwhile, will hold a training camp in Spain in June before heading to Taiwan in July.
In the third-place match, National University edged out San Beda, 77-75.
Lenard Santiago and Mark Parks led the Bulldogs with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Jake Figueroa, Steve Nash Enriquez, and Jolo Manansala were absent from the game.
Ajanti Miller topped San Beda with 20 points, while Jomnel Puno added 14 points and six rebounds.
Both NU and San Beda will also compete in the Preseason Cup and are participating in the U-Belt Basketball Cup.
