By: Joaquin Cortez
De La Salle University emerged as the lone undefeated team, while National University and the University of Santo Tomas also made their mark on the opening day of the eFIBA x UAAP eGilas Talent Discovery Tournament presented by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Sunday evening at the MVP Studios in Mandaluyong City.
After winning the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament last August and the VALORANT competition last September, NU is now eyeing a sweep of all three esports titles as it competes in the final discipline of this special event.
UST and NU are tied atop the Group A standings with four points each, while La Salle leads Group B with six points.
The Green Aces, however, stole the spotlight on Sunday, sweeping all four of their matches to finish the opening day unbeaten.
La Salle opened its campaign with a statement sweep of Season 87 champions Ateneo de Manila University, winning 62-41 and 81-49, before dispatching the University of the East, 74-43 and 88-69, later in the afternoon.
The Green Aces made quick work of the Blue Eagles in their opening match, with Jacob Asistio throwing down a reverse dunk to extend La Salle’s lead to 23 points, 57-34, with three minutes remaining and put the game out of reach.
La Salle carried its momentum into the second game, racing to a 41-18 halftime advantage behind Eidan Gammad’s 28-point first-half explosion. The Green Aces sustained their offensive onslaught after the break, keeping Ateneo at bay to complete the sweep.
Against UE, Gammad continued his scoring barrage, pouring in 30 points to lead La Salle to a 31-point victory in their first meeting. The Green Aces then leaned on their perimeter shooting in the rematch to secure an 88-69 win and preserve their unbeaten record.
“We played really well today. I think [ang improvement] na lang is getting used to the environment, pero other than that, we really executed really well,” Gammad said. “I know my teammates have my back, even if I don’t perform well. I know we still have a fighting chance because I’m not a one-man team; it is still a team game.”
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
UST also swept the University of the Philippines, 66-50 and 72-40, to open its campaign after settling for silver in Season 87.
eFIBA World Championship Season 4 MVP Miguel Hubillar made an impressive debut in the collegiate ranks, erupting for 45 of UST’s 66 points to lead the Teletigers to victory over the Fighting Maroons in their opening game.
Hubillar followed up with 32 points in their second meeting as UST pulled away for a 32-point victory to complete the sweep, 72-40.
The Teletigers, however, settled for a split against NU later in the day, falling 59-58 in their first meeting before bouncing back with a 64-58 victory in the rematch.
In their first encounter, both teams traded baskets before Lyonn Banzon knocked down a triple to give the Bulldogs a three-point cushion, 52-49, with 2:03 remaining. UST continued to fight back, but John Reyes answered with an elbow jumper to stretch NU’s lead to four, 57-53, with 25.9 seconds left.
Reyes then converted his free throws to keep NU ahead, 59-56. Hubillar had a chance to tie the game on the ensuing possession but settled for a long two-pointer after his foot landed on the line on a corner stepback jumper, cutting the deficit to one, 59-58, with six seconds remaining.
UST was forced to foul Reyes, sending him to the line with a chance to seal the win. Despite missing both free throws, Reyes recovered the loose ball to preserve NU’s narrow victory and draw first blood in the series.
The Teletigers bounced back in the second encounter, with Hubillar and Eryx Delos Reyes combining for 60 points as UST fended off the Bulldogs, 64-58.
“I waited for two years to have an opportunity in the UAAP, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is the perfect time to play,” eFIBA Finals MVP Hubillar said. “I have honed my skills, and I have proven myself in international competitions. Right now, I am just ready to implement everything with this collegiate team and win the gold.
“Ang mindset ko lang is lahat sila takot sa akin, so wala akong kinakatakutan,” he added.
NU regained its footing later in the afternoon, sweeping Far Eastern University, 80-52 and 76-61, to bounce back from its split with UST.
In the opening game, Reyes caught fire from beyond the arc, tallying 37 points and nine three-pointers to lead the Bulldogs to a 28-point rout of the Tamaraws.
FEU put up a stronger fight in the second game, with the Tamaraws cutting the deficit to six points at halftime, 37-31. However, the Bulldogs maintained their advantage behind Reyes’ 33-point, 15-assist performance to close their opening day on a high note.
“I’ve always told them na ‘We fought UST earlier, we have to stay locked in since hindi pa namin na-secure ang Final Four slot,’” Reyes said. “Credits to my teammates, and even though FEU was trying to go back and forth, nakikinig sila sa mga matchups … but we have to play smart since some of them parang nanggigigil.
“Even though nauunahan na sila ng emotions, just go back, stay focused, and the job is not done,” he added.
Adamson University capped the six-game slate by sweeping UE, 62-57 and 81-57, to secure its first win of the tournament.
The tournament follows a best-of-two format in the group stage, with teams earning three points for sweeping an opponent, one point for splitting the series, and zero points for losing both games.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Final Four, where the semifinals and grand finals will follow a best-of-three format.
The eight competing schools are divided into two groups, with UST, NU, UP, and FEU comprising Group A, while La Salle, Ateneo, Adamson, and UE make up Group B.
