National University Nazareth School is on the brink of securing an outright Finals berth as it prepares to face a surging University of Santo Tomas squad in the final elimination round game of the UAAP Season 87 Boys’ Basketball Tournament.
The highly anticipated showdown is set for Thursday, March 6, at 2 p.m. at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Before the pandemic, NUNS established itself as the gold standard of Philippine boys’ basketball, capturing four of the last seven UAAP boys’ basketball titles from 2013 to 2020.
However, the Bullpups have struggled to reclaim their dominance in the post-pandemic era, falling short in the Season 85 semis against the Far Eastern University-Diliman Baby Tamaraws and suffering another Finals heartbreak against the Adamson University Baby Falcons in Season 86.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Determined to put those setbacks behind them, NUNS head coach Kevin de Castro had one message for his team at the start of the season: Remember the pain.
Fueled by Best Foreign Student-Athlete frontrunner and reigning MVP Collins Akowe, along with key contributors Mac Alfanta, Jid Locsin, and Migs Palanca, the Bullpups have remained steadfast in their mission to reclaim the championship. They have strung together an impressive 13-game winning streak in Season 87, leading the league in several statistical categories, including points (79.62), field goal percentage (47.23%), rebounds (51.15), assists (21.38), and second-chance points (16.69).
Akowe has been the undisputed leader for NUNS, averaging 22 points, 19.42 rebounds, 2.67 assists, and 1.67 blocks across 13 games.
The Bullpups also hold the psychological edge after defeating UST 71-60 in their season opener last January 19. However, De Castro cautioned his team against relying on that result, noting that the Tiger Cubs were still adjusting to a new core at the time.
“Tough game sa Thursday against UST, so doon namin magga-gauge talaga kung nasaan na kami. Kung makuha namin, thankful kami, pero kung hindi naman, at least there’s something to learn. ‘Yon ang sabi ko sa kanila, every game and every practice we learn to get better,” De Castro told Tiebreaker Times after NUNS’ 90-72 win over UPIS on Sunday.
“Mataas naman respeto namin sa UST. Alam namin na next game, hindi talaga nila ibibigay ng basta-basta kasi hinahabol din nila yung twice-to-beat. Kami, magpe-prepare lang kami at titignan namin kung ano yung adjustments na pwede namin ibigay sa kanila. Alam natin na yung first round medyo matatawag natin na first game jitters ‘eh. Alam ko na this game on Thursday will be a dog fight,” he added.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, Tiger Cubs head coach Manu Inigo aims to keep UST’s momentum rolling, but he knows his team will be in for a battle. The second-year tactician has ramped up their training intensity, preparing for what is expected to be a hard-fought contest.
After securing the second seed with a 62-48 victory over the Baby Falcons in their penultimate elimination game, the Tiger Cubs are on track for their best finish since Season 73 in 2010, when they placed second with a 10-4 record.
UST has been equally formidable across multiple statistical categories, ranking first in steals (10.23), fastbreak points (12.85), and starter points (50.31), while trailing only NUNS in points (75.92), points allowed (63.77), points in the paint (39.38), rebounds (50.15), and blocks (3.77).
“Kailangan namin ng maraming dasal against NUNS para masulit yung second seed namin. Yung practices namin na parang pang-championship naman, tutuloy lang namin yung sinimulan namin. Dadagdagan lang namin yung aggressiveness at effort namin,” Inigo told Tiebreaker Times.
Leading the charge for UST is Senegalese forward Racine Kane, who has been a dominant force, averaging 17.08 points, 12.75 rebounds, 2.08 steals, 1.58 assists, and 1.58 blocks in 12 games.
Inigo revealed that the 18-year-old do-it-all forward is eager to redeem himself after a lackluster performance in their first-round loss to NUNS, where he was held to just eight points on 3-of-15 shooting, along with 10 rebounds, four steals, and four blocks in his UAAP debut.
“Nung nag-usap kami, very excited siya kasi medyo off siya nung first game namin against NU. Looking forward siya na makalaban ulit si Collins para makabawi rin siya,” Inigo added.
