UNIVERSITY of the East weathered a third-quarter surge by Ateneo de Manila University, emerging victorious with a 70-59 win to edge closer to a first-round sweep in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Fresh off a dominant wire-to-wire victory over inaugural champion NUNS, the Junior Warriors faced a tougher challenge this time around.
Ateneo’s resilience tested UE, particularly in the second half, but the Junior Warriors dug deep in the payoff period to secure a 6-0 record, maintaining their hold on the top spot in the eight-team field.
“Their composure was tested. For me, what happened, it will be very healthy for us. Itong season na ito, at least naramdaman nila yung different situations on how to stop that or paano makakarecover sa ganon na runs,” said Junior Warriors head coach Andrew Estrella.
Earlier, University of Santo Tomas rebounded with a commanding 87-53 victory over the University of the Philippines Integrated School to take solo third in the standings.
Leading by as many as 16 points midway through the third quarter, UE saw its advantage dwindle as Ateneo mounted a fierce 13-2 run to cut the lead to just three points, 52-49, heading into the final period.
However, the Junior Warriors responded with a decisive 14-2 counterattack, led by Kiefer Panganiban, Jared Ferreros, Enrico Bungar, and Ethan Oraa, to dash Ateneo’s comeback hopes and remain unblemished.
“I’m happy with the position we’re in right now. For me kasi, it’s one game at a time. We only prepare for the team na kung sino makakalaban namin. Every game demands full preparation for us,” Estrella added as they take on the Adamson Baby Falcons for their final assignment for the round on Sunday, 8 a.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Enrico Bungar led the charge for the Junior Warriors, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while also posting a game-high plus-22 rating in just under 28 minutes of action.
Filipino-Nigerian Goodluck Okebata also contributed a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, UST’s dominant win over UPIS came after some critical defensive adjustments.
“Prepared din yung UP ‘eh, lalo na sa man-to-man defense namin, kaya nagadjust kami kaagad. Medyo maganda yung depensa nung mga players ko, pero pagbalik kami sa tao-tao, hirap talaga kami, kaya adjustments talaga kailangan,” said Tiger Cubs head coach Noli Mejos.
Andwele Cabañero spearheaded the Tiger Cubs’ fourth win in six outings, with a double-double of 27 points and 17 rebounds, adding four assists and two steals.
Jhon Canapi, the 2024 Junior MPBL 14-and-under MVP, chipped in 21 points on 5-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc.
For Ateneo — which fell to a tie for fourth with idle De La Salle-Zobel with a 3-3 record, Zane Kallos, son of former Adamson Lady Falcons and San Sebastian head coach John Kallos, led his team with 19 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
Sky Jazul, who had been averaging 16.0 points, 4.75 assists, and 2.25 steals through five games, was limited to just eight points on 3-of-8 shooting but still managed five assists and five steals.
Jhustin Hallare, who started the game with a division-record 18 points in the first quarter, was held in check by UST’s defense for the remainder of the game. He ended with 25 points on a tough 2-of-14 shooting clip in the final three quarters.
Bruce Tubongbanua also struggled offensively, managing just 10 points on 21.1-percent shooting but contributing with 17 rebounds, eight assists, and four blocks.
The Fighting Maroons remained winless in six outings.
The Scores:
First Game
UST (87) – Cabañero 27, Canapi 21, Bathan 9, Guinto 8, Lim 7, Castro 6, Jubilado 4, Villacarlos 3, Balague 2, Duenas 0, Yu 0, Guerrero 0, Javier 0, Aguilar 0.
UPIS (53) – Hallare 25, Tubongbanua 10, Gepitan 6, Cobico 4, Poquiz 3, Rosete 3, Addatu 2, Manguerra 0, Labao 0, Repane 0, Lugatiman 0, Baldovino 0.
Quarterscores: 25-29, 48-32, 63-42, 87-53
Second Game
UE (70) – Bungar 17, Okebata 11, Delos Reyes 10, Oraa 8, Garcia 8, Mesina 6, Panganiban 4, Ferreros 4, Orca 2, Pascual 0.
Ateneo (59) – Kallos 19, Lacsamana 11, Jazul 8, Juangco 6, Ngo 5, Molina 4, Bernarte 2, Pineda 2, Ramos 2, Velte 0, Meresen 0, Dela Rosa 0, Divinagracia 0, Ylen 0, Fernandez 0, Hwang 0.
Quarterscores: 21-9, 40-20, 52-49, 70-59
