National University Nazareth School became the first team to clinch a Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 87 Boys’ Basketball Tournament after dismantling De La Salle Zobel, 86-60, on Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Reigning Most Valuable Player Collins Akowe once again led the Bullpups with a dominant double-double of 20 points and 23 rebounds, adding three assists and two blocks to power NUNS to a flawless 10-0 record.
With the victory, the Bullpups secured their 13th straight Final Four appearance — a streak that began in Season 73 back in 2011 when they finished fourth with a 10-4 slate.
“Happy ako kasi na-stick na namin yung first slot sa Final Four, pero marami pa kami kailangan i-improve. Sabi ko naman sa kanila coming into this game, ito yung stretch na crucial part nung season natin kasi ito na yung last few games coming into the playoffs and finals,” said NUNS head coach Kevin de Castro.
“We just have to make momentum and statement coming into the next games and sa Final Four.”
Holding a slim 24-18 lead at the 8:06 mark of the second quarter, the trio of Thomas Pillado, Johnkurl Figueroa, and Akowe powered a 16-3 run to give NUNS a commanding 40-21 halftime advantage.
The Bullpups continued their dominance in the final frame, building a game-high 35-point lead, 77-42, before cruising to their 10th straight victory.
With Akowe leading the charge, NUNS overwhelmed La Salle Zobel inside, winning the battle in the paint (54-28) and on the boards (46-31).
Ivler Napa, son of Bulldogs head coach Jeff Napa, finished with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Miguel Palanca contributed seven points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block.
Jid Locsin added seven points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals, while Pillado chipped in seven points, two rebounds, two assists, and one block.
The loss dropped DLSZ into a tie for fifth with the University of the East, which suffered a stunning 64-56 loss to Ateneo.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Taking solo fourth is Adamson University, which bounced back from a loss to NUNS with a dominant 84-67 victory over University of the Philippines Integrated School.
“Ang mentalidad ngayon ng team is one game at a time. Home stretch na ito ‘eh… Malaking boost ito sa amin kasi yung last four namin, lahat ng teams na makakalaban namin ay nasa contention. It’s a good stepping stone for us going to our next four games,” said Adamson head coach Mike Fermin.
How, his squad braces for crucial matchups against Final Four contenders DLSZ, Far Eastern University-Diliman, University of Santo Tomas, and UE.
Adamson turned a slim 45-43 third-quarter lead into a commanding 63-52 cushion after an 18-9 surge, led by Gilas Youth trio Allen Perez, Earl Medina, and Mark Esperanza, along with timely contributions from Sahir Sajili.
The Baby Falcons continued their onslaught in the fourth quarter, as a Medina three-pointer, a Jireh Tumaneng layup, and a triple from Gabe de Jesus stretched their advantage to 75-58 with 6:36 remaining — effectively sealing their bounce-back win.
Perez recorded a season-high 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, adding three rebounds. Medina, who overcame an early ankle injury, tallied 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
Esperanza contributed 11 points, six assists, four rebounds, and one steal, while Sajili notched a double-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, Ateneo compounded UE’s woes, handing the Junior Warriors their second straight heartbreaking loss following their buzzer-beating defeat to UST last Sunday.
“Yung mga bata, hindi bumigay sa fourth quarter which is tulad ng sinabi ko sa inyo before, ‘yon naging story ng season namin. Dito sa game na ito, hindi kami bumigay. May mga times na hindi kami maka-score, pero they were mentally tough to pull through with the victory,” said Blue Eagles head coach Ford Arao.
After a crucial steal and layup from Louie Bual tied the game at 55-all with 4:30 left, Jay-m Leal stepped up with back-to-back inside baskets to give Ateneo a 59-55 edge with 1:36 remaining.
UE trimmed the gap to 59-56 after a split from Lance Sabroso at the free-throw line, but Ateneo found an unlikely hero in TJ Delos Santos, who converted a clutch and-one layup to push the Blue Eagles ahead 62-56 with 1:20 left.
The Junior Warriors had chances to close the gap, but Sabroso and Bual missed key attempts down the stretch, allowing Chris Urbina to ice the game and secure Ateneo’s second win of the season.
Leal finished with an impressive double-double of 15 points and 18 rebounds, along with one assist, one steal, and one block. Alfonso Tan added nine points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Despite struggling offensively (nine points on 3-of-15 shooting), Urbina contributed four assists and three rebounds. Meanwhile, Delos Santos provided nine points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Far Eastern University-Diliman also closed in on second-running University of Santo Tomas.
MVP frontrunner Cabs Cabonilas took charge for FEU-D, leading the Baby Tamaraws to a crucial 67-60 victory over UST, snapping the Tiger Cubs’ eight-game winning streak.
With the loss, UST dropped to 8-2—just a full game ahead of FEU-D.
Cabonilas posted a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds, along with three assists and three steals, as FEU-D avenged its 80-72 first-round loss last February 9.
The Baby Tamaraws capitalized on the absence of UST big man Koji Buenaflor, who was serving a one-game suspension after receiving his second unsportsmanlike foul of the season against UE last Sunday.
“Nasa process kami ng paghahanap ng identity namin. Masaya ako na nanalo kami, pero hindi pa tayo satisfied… Natututo na kami, may maturity na kami. Pagdating ng endgame, ‘yan yung crucial ‘eh. Kung sino yung gusto manalo at kung sino yung mas matured,” said FEU-D head coach Denok Miranda.
With the game tied at 49-all with 7:09 left, Marc Burgos, Khean Esperanza, and Yosef Raneses sparked a 9-3 run to give FEU-D a 58-52 edge with 4:33 remaining.
UST had a chance to close the gap with under a minute remaining, but a costly turnover by co-captain Kirk Canete sealed their fate.
Liam Salangsang iced the game with four free throws, securing FEU-D’s seventh win in 10 games.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
In the girls’ game, NUNS bounced back in dominant fashion, cruising to a commanding 117-61 victory over DLSZ.
After suffering a 69-75 setback against the UST Junior Growling Tigresses last February 6, the Lady Bullpups made the most of their 14-day break to regroup and strengthen their grip on second place with a 3-1 record.
Ten of the 11 players fielded by head coach Camilla Escoto contributed to the scoring column, with 17-year-old forward Ashlyn Abong leading the charge with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, along with nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
“Sabi nga namin, very important yung talo [against UST] kasi it’s a blessing because it gives us a mindset na we should be on our toes palagi. Hindi kami pwede masyadong kampante and at the same time, marami pa kami kailangan trabahuin. There are a lot of things that we need to improve pa,” Escoto said postgame.
Halsry Mallari posted a double-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Rebekkah Pascua also added 15 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
Marielle Avila and KJ Badajos chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Lady Bullpups will look to secure back-to-back wins when they face the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles next Thursday, February 27, at the same time and venue.
On the other hand, Erica de Luna led DLSZ in the losing effort with 15 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and one steal. Princess Cordero added 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Sofia Martinez and Naima Navarro contributed 10 points each as the Junior Lady Archers dropped to a 1-3 record.
The Scores:
First Game (Girls)
NUNS (117) – Abong 17, Lapasaran 15, Mallari 15, Pascua 15, Avila 13, Badajos 12, Sales 9, Rosano 8, Trinidad 7, Katigbak 6, Aycardo 0.
DLSZ (61) – De Luna 15, Cordero 12, Martinez 10, Navarro 10, Reyes 7, Dominguez 3, Poral 3, Notarte 1, Vibanco 0.
Quarterscores: 20-11, 53-36, 90-47, 117-61.
Second Game (Boys):
NUNS (86) – Akowe 20, Napa 15, Locsin 7, Pillado 7, Palanca 7, Figueroa 6, Cartel 5, Alfanta 4, Nepacena 4, Solomon 4, Bouzina 3, Matias 2, Lucido 2, Natinga 0, Usop 0, Casala 0.
DLSZ (60) – Alas 18, Mben 11, Daja 10, Lopez 6, Gubat 5, Dabao 4, Areola 2, Jo. Alpapara 2, Borrero 2, Atienza 0, Ja. Alpapara 0, Tailan 0, Favis 0, Espinosa 0, Dimayuga 0, Reguera 0.
Quarterscores: 20-14, 40-21, 67-42, 86-60.
Third Game (Boys):
FEU-D (67) – Cabonilas 22, Raneses 13, Salangsang 12, Burgos 11, Esperanza 6, Pascual 3, Gemao 0, Godoy 0, De Guzman 0, Hall 0, Santos 0.
UST (60) – Kane 15, Manding 13, Ludovice 9, Bucsit 9, Acido 6, Solon 5, Canete 3, Esteban 0, Cinco 0.
Quarterscores: 18-16, 36-28, 48-44, 67-60.
Fourth Game (Boys):
AdU (84) – Perez 16, Medina 12, Esperanza 11, Sajili 10, De Jesus 9, Tumaneng 9, Decatoria 8, Umali 6, Jenodia 3, Abayon 0, Caspe 0, Matilliano 0, Garcia 0, Penafiel 0.
UPIS (67) – Tubongbanua 25, Melicor 12, Hallare 12, Egea 8, Gomez de Liano 5, Coronel 3, Uvero 2, Poquiz 0, Rosete 0, Gepitan 0, Pascual 0.
Quarterscores: 11-16, 33-30, 63-52, 84-67.
Fifth Game (Boys):
Ateneo (64) – Leal 15, Tan 9, Urbina 9, Delos Santos 9, Kallos 6, Lagdamen 5, Aquino 3, Ymasa 3, Asistio 3, Lacsamana 2, Kaw 0.
UE (56) – Almanza 16, Alejandro 11, Aguas 7, Bual 6, Lorenzo 6, Sabroso 4, Bana 4, Diaz 2, Lagat 0, Timbol 0, Cuevas 0, Chua 0.
Quarterscores: 17-16, 33-35, 49-48, 64-56.
