University of the East displayed its dominance over a struggling Ateneo de Manila University, clinching an 83-61 wire-to-wire victory and marking its 11th consecutive win in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The victory secured the Junior Warriors at least a playoff spot for a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four, even if they don’t complete an elimination round sweep.
UE’s quest for the league’s first-ever junior high school elimination round sweep faces challenging match-ups against Adamson University, the University of the Philippines Integrated School, and last season’s runner-up, Far Eastern University-Diliman.
“To be honest, hindi pa namin iniisip [yung elimination sweep]. We’re still one game at a time. If mangyari ‘yon, good for us. But achieving it does not mean you’re champions,” Junior Warriors head coach Andrew Estrella said.
“At the end of the day, you have to work hard to win the championship.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
The Junior Warriors built on their strong start, dominating the first quarter with a 29-8 performance. They used a 17-4 run in the second frame – fueled by Jolo Pascual, Neil Garcia, and Enrico Bungar – to push Ateneo down by a game-high 34 points at 46-12.
Ateneo showed some life in the third quarter, doubling its first-half points with a 25-14 advantage. But UE’s first-half lead proved insurmountable as they maintained a 20-point cushion, 69-49, heading into the fourth quarter.
UE sealed the win with four consecutive layups from Goodluck Okebata, Ethan Oraa, and Bungar, widening their lead to 77-53 with less than five minutes left.
This victory also solidified UE’s mastery over Ateneo, whom they defeated 70-59 in their first-round matchup on October 2.
“Ateneo adjusted in the second half, so doon kami medyo nagulat, but of course, we need to adjust to that. Lagi ko sinasabi sa kanila na we have to play consistent, pero of course, hindi naman every time na ganon. But most of the time, we have to be consistent,” Estrella added.
Pascual led the Junior Warriors with his best game of the season, scoring 17 points, along with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Jared Ferreros contributed 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Oraa added 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Garcia chipped in nine points, five rebounds, five assists, and one steal.
Okebata contributed eight points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Gab Delos Reyes recorded eight points, eight rebounds, and three blocks.
UE now aims to move closer to an elimination sweep as they take on Adamson on Sunday, November 17, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, Ateneo’s loss dropped them to a 4-6 record, marking their fifth defeat in six games and further dampening their Final Four hopes, now 1.5 games behind the fourth-seeded NUNS Bullpups.
MVP frontrunner Zane Kallos was limited to 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting but contributed five rebounds, four steals, and two assists.
Sky Jazul continued to struggle, scoring 10 points on 3-of-18 shooting with three steals, two rebounds, and one assist.
Q Molina added nine points on 1-of-8 shooting, along with four rebounds, four assists, and one steal despite six turnovers, while YJ Lacsamana grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds, adding six points and two steals.
Ateneo will look to bounce back in a showdown against the University of Santo Tomas on the same date and venue.
The Scores:
UE (83) – Pascual 17, Ferreros 12, Oraa 10, Garcia 9, Okebata 8, Delos Reyes 8, Bungar 7, Panganiban 6, Orca 4, Dalosa 2, Mesina 0.
Ateneo (61) – Kallos 16, Jazul 10, Molina 9, Lacsamana 6, Ngo 5, Juangco 4, Dela Rosa 3, Meresen 2, Bernarte 2, Fernandez 2, Valte 1, Divinagracia 1, Ylen 0, Hwang 0, Ramos 0, Pineda 0.
Quarterscores: 29-8, 55-24, 69-49, 83-61.
