National University Nazareth School capped a dominant first round with an emphatic 73-60 victory over defending champion Adamson University, securing a flawless 7-0 record in the UAAP Season 87 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Bullpups wasted no time asserting their dominance in the rematch of last season’s finals.
They raced to a commanding 24-7 lead in the opening quarter before burying the Baby Falcons in a 42-20 hole by halftime.
Mac Alfanta and Collins Akowe once again proved instrumental to NUNS’ success.
Alfanta led the charge with 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Akowe continued his streak of double-doubles with 14 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block.
With the victory, NUNS achieved its first first-round sweep since its perfect 16-0 championship run in Season 82 back in 2019.
“Happy ako kasi nasunod yung game plan namin. May part na naman na nag-relax kaya ‘yon yung kinakatakutan namin come the second round,” said NUNS head coach Kevin de Castro.
“Kaya sabi ko sa kanila na 7-0, na-sweep natin yung first round, but there’s nothing to celebrate kasi ang season nagsa-start talaga sa second round. We’re not yet satisfied kasi hindi pa namin nakukuha yung goal namin.”
Adamson attempted a late rally, trimming a 61-42 deficit to 65-53 with 4:12 remaining. However, timely baskets from Chad Cartel, Johnkurl Figueroa, and Alfanta sealed the Bullpups’ seventh straight win.
Miguel Palanca provided strong support with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, adding eight rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Cartel chipped in nine points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Adamson concluded a rocky first round with a 3-4 record, slipping to fifth place after University of the East edged De La Salle Zobel, 56-51, earlier in the day.
Among the three teams battling for positioning, DLSZ holds the highest head-to-head quotient at +3, followed by Adamson at +1.
UE, on the other hand, finished with a -4 quotient, placing them sixth overall.
Zahir Sajili delivered a season-high 18 points (15 in the second half) on 7-of-14 shooting for Adamson, along with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Mark Esperanza added 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting, six assists, four rebounds, and one steal.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Ethan Aguas — a 17-year-old, 6-foot-4 forward from Tarlac and a standout from UE’s inaugural 16-and-under team last year — took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of his 16 points to go along with seven rebounds.
His heroics helped the Junior Warriors close out a tough first round on a high note.
“Happy for the win, finally naputol na namin yung losing streak. We’ll take it, a win is a win, masaya na kami doon,” said second-year Junior Warriors head coach Karl Santos.
“We need this win for the second round. If we really want to make it to the Final Four, I think we have to start now.”
Trailing 36-37 at the end of the third quarter, Aguas spearheaded a 16-5 UE run to establish a 52-42 cushion with 3:25 remaining.
DLSZ, however, refused to back down. The trio of Maco Dabao, Kieffer Alas, and Bonn Daja trimmed the deficit to 52-48 with 1:49 left, but Aguas sealed the win with three crucial free throws, giving UE a comfortable 55-48 lead.
Lance Sabroso contributed 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Edry Alejandro added seven points, five rebounds, and two steals in the much-needed win for UE.
The Junior Archers, on the other hand, suffered their third straight defeat, dropping to 3-4 and sharing fifth place with UE.
Alas led DLSZ with a game-high 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and one block but committed five turnovers. Daja chipped in nine points, six rebounds, and two steals.
JC Espinosa added six points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Meanwhile, Dabao finished with five points, five assists, six rebounds, and one steal but struggled with six turnovers.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas extended its winning streak to six games, fending off a late comeback attempt by Far Eastern University-Diliman in an 80-72 victory.
With both teams entering the game tied at 5-1, UST’s win secured sole possession of second place with a 6-1 record in the eight-team tournament.
Since dropping their season opener to NUNS, the Tiger Cubs have flexed their championship pedigree, winning six straight games with an average margin of 18.6 points per contest.
“FEU ‘yan ‘eh, kita niyo naman ka-tie namin yan sa standings. Kaya alam namin na right from the start, hindi magiging madali. Swerte lang kami na nagkaroon kami ng malaking lamang sa start, pero we all knew na bakbakan ito hanggang sa huli,” said Tiger Cubs head coach Manu Iñigo.
UST set the tone early with a 24-9 opening quarter, building a 42-24 halftime advantage. The Tiger Cubs maintained a 67-50 lead entering the fourth, but FEU-Diliman fought back with a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 67-60 with 3:50 remaining.
However, UST held its ground, responding with crucial baskets from Carl Manding, Charles Bucsit, Wacky Ludovice, and Senegalese forward Racine Kane to secure the win.
Kane dominated with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, along with 11 rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal. Manding provided a season-high 17 points, nine rebounds, and three steals off the bench.
Co-captain Kirk Canete chipped in eight points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Koji Buenaflor added eight points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
FEU-D, which had won five of its last six games, was dealt a setback, dropping to solo third place with a 5-2 record.
Cabs Cabonilas nearly recorded a double-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Marc Burgos overcame an injury scare to post 16 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal.
Liam Salangsang struggled from the field, shooting 4-of-15, but still finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Xyrus Gemao contributed 10 points, two rebounds, and one assist.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Ateneo de Manila University also entered the win column with an 85-73 triumph over the struggling University of the Philippines Integrated School.
Seventeen-year-old center Jay-M Leal powered the Blue Eagles to their first victory under head coach Ford Arao, tallying 25 points on an efficient 9-of-11 shooting, along with five rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and one steal.
Chris Urbina provided ample support with 15 points, nine assists, two rebounds, and one steal, as Ateneo snapped a 12-game losing streak dating back to Season 86.
Despite remaining in seventh place with a 1-6 record, Ateneo finally broke its dry spell in UAAP boys’ basketball. The team secured its first win since January 7, 2024, when they defeated UPIS 70-55 in the second round of Season 86.
“Masaya kasi first win ko and kailangan namin yung panalo. Pero in general, marami pa kami kailangan gawin. A win is a win, pero hindi ganoon kaganda yung panalo namin, pero we’ll take it,” said Arao.
Renzo Gatmaitan added 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, along with four rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Alfonso Tan sparked Ateneo’s fourth-quarter surge, finishing with 11 points, six assists, three steals, and two rebounds.
UPIS’s struggles continued, closing the first round at 0-7 and remaining at the bottom of the eight-team standings.
The Fighting Maroons have now lost 11 straight games in UAAP boys’ basketball, dating back to January 14, 2024.
Season 86 Rookie of the Year Ethan Egea led the Fighting Maroons with 17 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals, while Rocco Melicor tallied 16 points, five assists, two rebounds, and two steals.
Gomez de Liaño also scored 16 points while grabbing 14 rebounds, dishing out two assists, and recording one steal.
Jhustin Hallare contributed 11 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals, while Bruce Tubongbanua had 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal in the losing effort.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
In the girls’ division, De La Salle-Zobel finally entered the win column in historic fashion, delivering a dominant 115-16 victory over archrival Ateneo de Manila University to wrap up the first round.
The Junior Lady Archers’ 99-point win set a new UAAP girls’ basketball record for the largest winning margin. They surpassed the previous mark of 94 points set by the NU-Nazareth School Lady Bullpups in a 109-15 rout of the Blue Eagles last January 30.
Leading the charge for DLSZ was 18-year-old guard Erica de Luna, who came close to a quadruple-double with 34 points on 15-of-22 shooting, 13 steals, 12 rebounds, and eight assists.
“The girls played well and followed our system. We all know that when it’s La Salle versus Ateneo, it’s always competitive. They just enjoyed the game, and the rest followed,” said Junior Lady Archers head coach Louie Fernandez.
DLSZ wasted no time asserting dominance, opening the game with a blistering 33-0 first-quarter run. That explosive start paved the way for a commanding 61-6 halftime lead.
The second half told the same story, as DLSZ outscored Ateneo 54-10 across the final two quarters to seal the record-breaking win.
Naima Navarro added 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Sofia Martinez chipped in 16 points, six steals, five rebounds, and one assist.
Aaliyah Reyes contributed 12 points, six steals, three rebounds, and one assist, while Princess Cordero stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.
Meanwhile, Ateneo remained winless at 0-3 to close the first round.
The Blue Eagles are still searching for their first-ever victory in UAAP girls’ basketball history, having gone 0-6 in the inaugural tournament back in Season 82.
Templo finished with seven points, eight rebounds, three steals, and one block.
The Scores:
First Game (Boys):
Ateneo (85) – Leal 25, Urbina 15, Gatmaitan 12, Tan 11, Delos Santos 9, Lagdamen 7, Reyes 5, Lacsamana 1, Aquino 0, Ymasa 0, Asistio 0.
UPIS (73) – Egea 17, Melicor 16, De Liaño 16, Hallare 11, Tubongbanua 11, Uvero 2, Poquiz 0, Coronel 0.
Quarterscores: 19-18, 41-36, 59-55, 85-73.
Second Game (Boys):
UE (56) – Aguas 16, Sabroso 10, Alejandro 7, Almanza 6, Bual 5, Lagat 5, Lorenzo 3, Bana 2, Timbol 2, Diaz 0, Chua 0.
DLSZ (51) – Alas 22, Daja 9, Espinosa 6, Dabao 5, Arejola 4, Borrero 3, Favis 2, Mben 0, Atienza 0, Tailan 0, Reguera 0, Alpapara 0.
Quarterscores: 14-8, 26-22, 36-37, 56-51.
Third Game (Boys):
NUNS (73) – Alfanta 15, Akowe 14, Palanca 11, Cartel 9, Napa 8, Locsin 4, Pillado 4, Figueroa 4, Solomon 4, Matias 0, Usop 0.
AdU (60) – Sajili 18, Esperanza 12, Umali 9, Artango 5, Medina 4, De Jesus 4, Tumaneng 4, Abayon 2, Perez 2, Penafiel 0, Jenodia 0.
Quarterscores: 24-7, 42-20, 70-37, 73-60.
Fourth Game (Boys):
UST (80) – Kane 23, Manding 17, Canete 8, Buenaflor 8, Bucsit 7, Acido 7, Solon 5, Esteban 2, Vidanes 2, Ludovice 1, Bandingan 0.
FEU-D (72) – Cabonilas 16, Burgos 16, Salangsang 12, Gemao 10, De Guzman 7, Godoy 5, Pascual 2, Hall 2, Castillejos 2, Raneses 0, Esperanza 0, Santos 0, Maierhofer 0.
Quarterscores: 24-9, 42-24, 65-48, 80-72.
Fifth Game (Girls):
DLSZ (115) – De Luna 34, Navarro 18, Martinez 16, Reyes 12, Cordero 8, Dominguez 8, Notar 6, Poral 6, Ogario 4, Vivanco 3.
Ateneo (16) – Templo 7, Pangilinan 5, Bacayo 2, Lo 1, Molina 1, Exconde 0, Doque 0, Cacanindin 0, Linaza 0, Burdeos 0, Bernardo 0, Lee 0.
Quarterscores: 33-0, 61-6, 84-10, 115-16.
