A new era has dawned upon the UAAP Season 87 basketball tournaments.
After a shaky start to their UAAP campaigns, University of the East made a historic comeback by defeating the favored De La Salle University in both the men’s and women’s divisions on Sunday.
This remarkable achievement has sent a powerful statement across the entire UAAP landscape, a feat made possible by the stellar performances of John Abate and Jearzy Ganade.
In recognition of their exceptional play, Abate and Ganade have earned nods for the second Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Players of the Week awards for the period of September 18 to 22.
Abate, a 24-year-old Fil-Am guard, averaged 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game against the FEU Tamaraws and DLSU Green Archers.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
His contributions have lifted the Red Warriors to a 2-2 record and earned him the men’s weekly award, backed by Discovery Suites and World Balance.
After being limited to just two points on 1-of-7 shooting against FEU, Abate rebounded spectacularly with a career-high 20-point performance, highlighted by game-sealing free throws.
This pivotal victory handed the defending champions their first loss of the season.
Abate’s impressive display allowed him to edge out notable competitors, including teammate Wello Lingolingo, UP’s Quentin Millora-Brown, UST’s Mo Tounkara and Forthsky Padrigao, and Ateneo’s Kristian Porter for the weekly citation.
With his outstanding performance and the current success of the Red Warriors, the 6-foot-1 do-it-all guard gained the confidence he needed to ride the wave of momentum.
“Just sticking together. We have a system and a foundation that we built upon for these last two wins. Coming off of that, we have the confidence now and we know that we can believe in ourselves individually and together, so going off of that, it just comes down to execution,” he stated.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
In the women’s division, Ganade’s all-around performance against the Lady Archers marked a significant milestone, as it ended UE’s 40-game skid that had lasted five years and one day.
She averaged 8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 2.5 steals over a two-game stretch, with a standout performance of 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists against La Salle.
This effort lifted the Lady Warriors to their first UAAP win since September 21, 2019. Ganade’s performance earned her recognition over competitors such as Adamson’s Kazel Mazo, NU’s Jainaba Konateh, NU’s Angel Surada, and UP’s Achrissa Maw.
Despite this historic victory, Ganade remains focused on keeping herself and the young, revamped UE squad grounded in their quest for further success.
“’Nung bumalik ako, gusto ko tulungan sila coach and mga teammates ko. Gusto ko noon makakuha ng win, and ito na, grabe, sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam. Lahat ng pagod talaga nawala,” she expressed.
She added, “’Yung goals naman namin, hindi namin kinakalimutan kahit na nakakuha na kami ng first win namin after ilang years. Itutuloy-tuloy lang namin, susunod kami sa mga coaches sa mga ipapagawa, and then sa sistema lang talaga, susunod kami.”
Looking ahead, the Red Warriors aim to secure their third straight win against a struggling NU Bulldogs side on Saturday, September 28, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Meanwhile, the Lady Warriors hope to ignite their first winning streak since Season 81, also facing the unbeaten NU Lady Bulldogs on the same date and venue.
