NUNS secure HS Boys Basketball first round sweep

c/o UAAP Media Team

UAAP Season 87 Boys Basketball Tournament Standings

NUNS 7-0
UST 6-1
FEU-D 5-2
DLSZ 3-4
ADU 3-4
UE 3-4
Ateneo 1-6
UPIS 0-7

NATIONAL University Nazareth School capped a dominant first round with an emphatic 73-60 victory over defending champion Adamson University, securing a flawless 7-0 record in the UAAP Season 87 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The Bullpups wasted no time asserting their dominance in the rematch of last season’s finals, racing to a commanding 24-7 lead in the opening quarter before burying the Baby Falcons in a 42-20 hole by halftime.

Mac Alfanta and Collins Akowe once again proved instrumental to NUNS’ success.

Alfanta led the charge with 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Akowe continued his streak of double-doubles with 14 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block.

With the victory, NUNS achieved its first first-round sweep since its perfect 16-0 championship run in Season 82 back in 2019.

“Happy ako kasi nasunod yung game plan namin. May part na naman na nag-relax kaya ‘yon yung kinakatakutan namin come the second round, kaya sabi ko sa kanila na 7-0, nasweep natin yung first round, but there’s nothing to celebrate kasi ang season nagsstart talaga sa second round. We’re not yet satisfied kasi hindi pa namin nakukuha yung goal namin,” said NUNS head coach Kevin de Castro.

Adamson attempted a late rally, trimming a 61-42 deficit to 65-53 with 4:12 remaining, but timely baskets from Chad Cartel, Johnkurl Figueroa, and Alfanta sealed the Bullpups’ seventh straight win.

Miguel Palanca provided strong support with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, adding eight rebounds and three blocks, while Cartel chipped in nine points, three rebounds, and two assists.

Meanwhile, Adamson concluded a rocky first round with a 3-4 record, slipping to fifth place after the University of the East edged De La Salle Zobel, 56-51, earlier in the day.

Among the three teams battling for positioning, DLSZ holds the highest head-to-head quotient at +3, followed by Adamson at +1. UE, on the other hand, finished with a -4 quotient, placing them sixth overall.

Sanir Sajili delivered a season-high 18 points (15 in the second half) on 7-of-14 shooting for Adamson, along with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Mark Esperanza added 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting, six assists, four rebounds, and one steal.

Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas extended its winning streak to six games, fending off a late comeback attempt by Far Eastern University-Diliman in an 80-72 victory.

With both teams entering the game tied at 5-1, UST’s win secured sole possession of second place with a 6-1 record in the eight-team tournament.

Since dropping their season opener to NUNS, the Tiger Cubs have flexed their championship pedigree, winning six straight games with an average margin of 18.6 points per contest.

“FEU ‘yan ‘eh, kita niyo naman ka-tie namin yan sa standings kaya alam namin na right from the start, hindi magiging madali. Swerte lang kami na nagkaroon kami ng malaking lamang sa start, pero we all knew na bakbakan ito hanggang sa huli,” said Tiger Cubs head coach Manu Iñigo.

UST set the tone early with a 24-9 opening quarter, building a 42-24 halftime advantage. The Tiger Cubs maintained a 67-50 lead entering the fourth, but FEU-Diliman fought back with a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 67-60 with 3:50 remaining.

However, UST held its ground, responding with crucial baskets from Carl Manding, Charles Bucsit, Wacky Ludovice, and Senegalese forward Racine Kane to secure the win.

Kane dominated with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, along with 11 rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal. Manding provided a season-high 17 points, nine rebounds, and three steals off the bench.

Co-captain Kirk Canete chipped in eight points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Koji Buenaflor added eight points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.

FEU-D, which had won five of its last six games, was dealt a setback, dropping to solo third place with a 5-2 record.

Cabs Cabonilas nearly recorded a double-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Marc Burgos overcame an injury scare to post 16 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal.

Liam Salangsang struggled from the field, shooting 4-of-15, but still finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Xyrus Gemao contributed 10 points, two rebounds, and one assist.

The Scores:

Third Game (Boys):

NUNS (73) - Alfanta 15, Akowe 14, Palanca 11, Cartel 9, Napa 8, Locsin 4, Pillado 4, Figueroa 4, Solomon 4, Matias 0, Usop 0.

AdU (60) - Sajili 18, Esperanza 12, Umali 9, Artango 5, Medina 4, De Jesus 4, Tumaneng 4, Abayon 2, Perez 2, Penafiel 0, Jenodia 0.

Quarterscores: 24-7, 42-20, 70-37, 73-60.

Fourth Game (Boys):

UST (80) - Kane 23, Manding 17, Canete 8, Buenaflor 8, Bucsit 7, Acido 7, Solon 5, Esteban 2, Vidanes 2, Ludovice 1, Bandingan 0.

FEU-D (72) - Cabonilas 16, Burgos 16, Salangsang 12, Gemao 10, De Guzman 7, Godoy 5, Pascual 2, Hall 2, Castillejos 2, Raneses 0, Esperanza 0, Santos 0, Maierhofer 0.

Quarterscores: 24-9, 42-24, 65-48, 80-72.