For Enzo and Ice Purugganan, playing basketball together has always been a family affair.
On Saturday, the twin brothers added another chapter to that story as they shared the floor in De La Salle Zobel’s first-ever home game of the UAAP Season 89 16-and-under basketball tournament, helping the Junior Archers overwhelm the UPIS Junior Fighting Maroons, 86-62.
With a packed sea of green behind them, Enzo took charge offensively, pouring in a team-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including four triples, while Ice chipped in five points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block.
The Purugganan twins have been playing basketball together for as long as they can remember, building the familiarity that has followed them into their UAAP campaign.
“We definitely love it. Playing as brothers, on the same team, it really means a lot to us because we enjoy playing with each other,” Enzo said.
The 5-foot-7 forward’s latest outing continued his steady production for DLSZ, as he now averages 15 points per game through five contests this season. Ice, meanwhile, has provided an all-around presence alongside his twin, averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
That chemistry is something Enzo believes has been ingrained in them from a young age, long before they suited up together for Zobel.
“Grabe ‘yung teamwork and chemistry, since bata pa kami,” he said.
Their shared love for basketball can be traced back to their father, who introduced both brothers to the sport when they were young. What began as something they did as children eventually developed into a passion that continues to bring them together on the court.
Now, the twins get to pursue that passion together on the UAAP stage, with Saturday giving them their first opportunity to do so in front of the Zobel community right in their own backyard in Alabang.
“We really love playing basketball because our dad taught us how to play and our love for the game really developed,” he added.
The home crowd provided the backdrop as the Junior Archers pulled away from UPIS, building a lead of as many as 33 points on their way to the comfortable victory.
The result also highlighted how far DLSZ has come from last season, when the Junior Archers finished at the bottom of the standings with an 0-14 record.
Now, the twins, alongside steady contributors Rye Villaruz, Fonzie Mercado, and Andrei Francisco, have helped the Hyram Bagatsing-mentored squad climb to a 3-2 record, tied for third in the standings.
For Enzo, however, the occasion meant more than just another win.
The 15-year-old said the opportunity to finally play at home gave the team an added reason to celebrate after securing the convincing victory in front of the DLSZ faithful.
“We’re happy and proud as a team because it’s the first time we’ve played at home here in DLSZ.”
For the Purugganan twins, the victory was another memory added to years of playing side by side—this time on their own home floor.
