Tiger Cubs snap Baby Tams 24-game streak in UAAP U19 Boys 3x3 Basketball

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 High School 3x3 Basketball Standings

19U Boys’
UST 3-0
NUNS 2-1
FEU-D 2-1
DLSZ 2-1
UE 1-2
ADU 1-2
UPIS 1-2
Ateneo 0-3

16u Boys’
FEU-D 3-0
UST 2-1
Ateneo 2-1
DLSZ 2-1
ADU 1-2
UE 1-2
NUNS 1-2
UPIS 0-3

University of Santo Tomas took solo lead in the UAAP Season 88 19-and-under 3x3 basketball tournament after pulling off two thrilling wins on Tuesday at Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City.

The Tiger Cubs ended the 24-game winning streak of defending champions FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws with a 21-18 victory to open their day, before following it up with a 21-16 win over the DLSZ Junior Archers. With those results, UST remained the only unbeaten team in the tournament, which is supported by Wilson Philippines and Ayala Malls and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Kirk Cañete led the charge against FEU-D, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, finishing with 10 points, while Joaqui Ludovice added seven.

Ludovice then took over against DLSZ, finishing with nine points, while Jettlee Melano and Cañete chipped in five points apiece.

“Happy po kami as a team kasi nagtulong-tulungan kami. Lahat ito, pinaghandaan kami,” said Ludovice, the 5-foot-9 guard who is in Grade 11 but will age out of the league’s high school competitions in UAAP Season 89. “Pero hindi pa kami ganoon kasaya kasi hindi pa namin naabot yung pinaka goal namin, which is yung championship. Happy kami pero hindi pa kami kuntento.”

For Ludovice, winning the 3x3 tournament would be a perfect cap to their high school run after finishing sixth in the 5-on-5 competition last March.

“Sineseryoso namin ito kasi ito yung comeback namin from 5-on-5. UAAP pa rin ito at parehong championship pa rin ang pinaglalabanan dito,” said Joaqui, the younger brother of former San Beda Red Lion Yvan Ludovice.

The middle of the standings remains tightly packed, with FEU-D, National University Nazareth School, and De La Salle-Zobel all holding 2-1 records.

Cabs Cabonilas powered FEU-D with 11 points and 11 rebounds in a 21-13 bounce-back win over Ateneo.

Meanwhile, University of the Philippines Integrated School leaned on the duo of Jhustin Hallare and Bruce Tubongbanua, who both scored nine points, in a 22-20 stunner over NUNS. However, NUNS responded later in the day with a 21-11 rout of Adamson.

Niño Ferrer then scored a deuce in overtime to lift DLSZ to a 20-18 win over Ateneo, helping the Junior Archers rebound.

Adamson, UE, and UPIS are all at 1-2, while Ateneo remains winless in the division.

In the 16-and-under division, defending champion Ateneo—coming off a 21-17 win over UE earlier in the day—saw its 10-game winning streak snapped after FEU-Diliman pulled off a 21-15 victory.

Prince Cariño dominated the match, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds.

The Baby Tamaraws also cruised in their first game of the day, defeating Adamson 21-13 behind nine points from Dwayne Enriquez and seven from Cariño to move to 3-0 in the division.

Ateneo, UST, and DLSZ are all at 2-1, while Adamson, UE, and NUNS sit at 1-2. UPIS remains winless.

The Junior Tiger Cubs also went 2-0 for the day, scoring wins over NUNS (21-16) and UPIS (21-13).

Miguel Jubilado and CJ Tabbuga scored eight and seven points, respectively, against the Bullpups, while Tabbuga added nine points and Dave Regala contributed seven points and nine rebounds against the Fighting Maroons.

DLSZ, which started the day with a 21-20 escape over UPIS, suffered a 19-15 upset loss to NUNS—the Bullpups’ first win of the tournament.

Junior Archers head trainer Joshua Webb said his squad needs to experience both highs and lows to grow in the competition.

“Just a few tweaks and adjustments here and there, but that’s going to come. 3x3 is a different animal from 5-on-5, and it’s our job to teach them that,” said Webb, a DLSZ legend and former Philippine-ranked 3x3 player during his stint with Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3.

The Junior Warriors finally broke through with their first win, edging the Adamson Baby Falcons 19-17 in overtime as James Mesa nailed the game-winning deuce.

The tournament will resume on Thursday, with the high school girls’ competition also set to begin on the same day.

Bullpups force decider in UAAP HS Boys Basketball Finals

c/o UAAP

Game on Monday at the Blue Eagle Gym
3 p.m. - FEU-D vs NUNS

Shaun Lucido refused to let National University Nazareth School go down without a fight.

The 6-foot, Grade 11 guard dropped 25 points, leading the Bullpups to an 80-59 win over the Far Eastern University-Diliman Baby Tamaraws and forcing a winner-take-all match in the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Thursday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Lucido, the inaugural MVP of the Junior High School tournament back in UAAP Season 86 (2024), got off to a scorching start, scoring eight points in the first 10 minutes.

By halftime, he had already poured in 17 points on five triples, helping the Bullpups take a lead that reached as high as 45-29.

“Sobrang gutom na gutom kami kasi matagal na po talaga naming pinagtratrabahuan ito,” said Lucido, an 18-year-old native of Legazpi City, Albay. “Tatlong sunod na finals appearances na kami, natalo kami sa unang dalawa.

“Talagang motivation namin is bigyan si coach (Kevin de Castro) ng championship at para rin kay Sir Fulton (Sy, former team manager).”

The decider is set on Holy Monday at the same Katipunan venue.

In the second half, the rest of the Bullpups followed Lucido’s lead, firing on all cylinders to keep FEU-D at bay.

Malian big man Moussa Diakite, the division’s Rookie of the Year, delivered a thunderous jam to give NUNS a 77-57 lead with 2:09 remaining. In a tribute to NU great Danny Ildefonso, Diakite celebrated with a “raise the roof” gesture, thrilling half of the 2,105 fans in attendance.

Diakite finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks. Kurl Figueroa added 10 points and seven rebounds, Corian Cabantog contributed nine points and eight boards, while Mot Matias orchestrated the offense with 10 assists and five points.

“Actually, coming into this game, sabi ko sa mga players ko, naubusan ako ng motivation sa inyo, si Lord na bahala mag-motivate sa inyo,” said De Castro, who suffered Game 3 heartbreaks against Adamson in Season 86 and UST last year. “So, very thankful ako, and credit sa coaching staff na meron ako. Talagang grabe yung inputs nila at the same time yung mga players.”

Cabs Cabonilas, the reigning MVP of the division who posted 19 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks in FEU-D’s 77-73 Game 1 win last Sunday, added 18 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in Game 2.

Kean Esperanza, who overcame a first-half injury, was the other Baby Tamaraw in double figures with 13 points.

Assan Gaye and Sam Hall, who scored 12 points each in Game 1, were limited to just three and one point, respectively.

The Scores:

NUNS 80 - Lucido 25, Diakite 10, Figueroa 10, Cabantog 9, Cartel 8, Natinga 6, Matias M. 5, Juan 4, Matias R. 3, Bouzina 0, Celiz 0, Timbang 0, Tulabut 0.

FEU-D 59 - Cabonilas 18, Esperanza 13, Burgos 8, Cagurungan 4, Cariño 4, Sohm 4, Gaye 3, Enriquez 2, Hall 1, Santos J. 1, Santos 1, Rañeses 0, Alagaban 0, Dagcutan 0, Dulin 0.

Quarterscores: 18-14, 45-31, 63-51, 80-59.

PAREF-Southridge formalizes postseason cast in UAAP HS Football

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 High School Boys' Football Tournament Standings

**FEU-D 31(+30)
**UST 28 (+13)
*DLSZ 20(+5)
*Southridge 17 (+2)
xAteneo 16 (-5)
xAdU 6 (-15)
xClaret 3 (-30)

**-Twice-To-Beat
*-Final Four

The stars aligned for PAREF Southridge, as they secured a return to the UAAP High School Boys’ Football Final Four for the second straight season.

Starting the last elimination round matchday with a 3-1 victory over De La Salle Zobel, Southridge’s hopes and prayers were answered in the next match as University of Santo Tomas edged Ateneo de Manila University 2-1 to book the Admirals their place in next week’s semifinals, Saturday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

Southridge fulfilled its role in the equation by dispatching La Salle in the opening match of the triple-header. The result marked a departure from their first-round encounter, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate on February 17.

Admirals winger Francis Poticano led the charge, breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute before sealing the win in the 77th. Forward Kale Javier added the team’s second goal in first-half stoppage time (45+4) with a strike from outside the box.

La Salle striker Jayden Gayoso pulled one back for the Junior Green Booters in the 56th minute, heading in an assist from teammate Duke Punzalan, but it proved insufficient to spark a comeback.

“First of all, I would like to thank God for this victory,” said Southridge’s Ghanaian coach Sam Bonney. “The mission was clear. We came here to win because we know we are in a bad spot—if I may put it that way—because we want to be in the Final Four. So at the end of the day, a win will grant us that one, but of course we have to wait for this UST against Ateneo game also to know that we are secure in the Final Four.”

As the Admirals remained in the stands, the Junior Golden Booters delivered at the Blue Eagles’ expense, even with the defending champions having nothing at stake.

Midfielder Al Orteza set the tone for UST, finishing clinically in the 27th minute to open the scoring. Ateneo’s woes deepened in the second half as Joshua Balliner doubled UST’s lead in the 57th minute.

The Blue Eagles attempted to force a playoff for the final semifinal berth by pushing for an equalizer. Tiago Remulla gave Ateneo hope in the 60th minute, heading in a corner kick from Manu Simpao. Simpao and Andres Dumlao later had free-kick opportunities amid Ateneo’s late surge, but both efforts missed the target.

For Junior Golden Booters assistant coach David Basa, securing the win — UST’s second over Ateneo this season after a 3-0 victory on January 31 — was crucial in building momentum heading into next Saturday’s semifinal clash against the Junior Green Booters.

“Yun kasi yung pagpunta namin sa game—hindi namin tine-take for granted,” said Basa. “Gusto namin makuha yung momentum papunta sa semifinals kaya ayaw namin magpatalo. Kahit ni-reserve namin ang mga may yellow card at 'di namin sila sinugal, sinabi namin sa boys na play to win pa rin. Kailangan yung attitude at character nandun at 'di mawawala.”

Far Eastern University-Diliman, which capped off the eliminations with a 5-1 win over Adamson University, enters the postseason as the top seed with 31 points.

FEU-D will face fourth-seeded Southridge (17 points), while second-seeded UST (28 points) and third-seeded La Salle (20 points) square off in the other semifinal.

As the higher seeds, the Baby Tamaraws and the Junior Golden Booters hold a twice-to-beat advantage over the Admirals and the Junior Green Booters, respectively, when they clash next Saturday at the same venue.

Meanwhile, braces from Thomas Baylon and Jerriemy Biton powered FEU-D's rout of Adamson.

The match was tied at 1-1 at halftime after Tristan Alkuino’s own goal in the 23rd minute handed the Baby Tamaraws an early lead, before Baby Falcons striker Josh Año equalized in the 45th minute.

Baylon (51’, 56’) and Biton (53’, 59’) then combined for four goals in an eight-minute blitz to secure a convincing win for FEU-D. The result also completed a season sweep for the Baby Tamaraws, who previously defeated the Baby Falcons, 5-0, in the first round on January 17.

“Masaya siyempre. Pinaghirapan yung goals na yan,” said FEU-D coach Jake Morallo. “In the first half, medyo again, out of connection, out of focus — maybe nawawala sila sa roles nila bawat isa, so this is why I think 'yun lang ang nakuha sa first half. But in the second half, I think it was a good adjustment.”

“I think maganda yung adjustment ng bawat isa. As we saw, maraming rookies ngayon na nabigyan ng chance, and I think they deserved it this time. Masaya ako na may mga players na nag-step up.”

Rounding out the standings are Ateneo (16 points) in fifth place, followed by Adamson (6 points) and Claret (3 points).

Southridge completes HS Baseball finals sweep, becomes first guest school to hoist a UAAP title

c/o UAAP

PAREF Southridge School made UAAP history, Monday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The Admirals became the first-ever guest team to win a UAAP title, claiming the Season 88 High School Baseball Tournament with an 11-1 victory in Game 2 of the Finals against the De La Salle Zobel Junior Green Batters.

It was a dream run for Southridge, which was on the brink of elimination with three games left in the season. The Admirals won all three before ousting National University Nazareth School in a playoff, 6-3.

Southridge head coach Bocc Bernardo emphasized that confidence would be key to winning the championship, and the team used last Saturday’s 15-2 victory in the series opener to fuel their come-from-behind win, though they remained cautiously optimistic.

"The important thing I told them from the last game: there was nothing yet to celebrate. Just to make it short, I told them, the hardest game to win is the close-out game," said Bernardo, a former Southridge standout and catcher for Ateneo de Manila University during its UAAP Season 75 championship run.

"Whatever we did last Saturday will not make us win the game on Monday. It's another game, it's another story to unfold, so we have to play hard. We were able to execute the gameplay that we needed to do."

Down a run after the first three innings, the Admirals found their rhythm in the fourth and never looked back, capturing the first-ever championship by a guest team in the league—and Southridge’s first in any sport.

A three-run rally in the sixth inning extended their lead to 5-3, proving decisive in the final result. Luis Chavez drove in Joaquin Salvador, who earlier hit a double to left field, before scoring himself on an Alessandro Villarosa hit to right field.

All this offensive composure stemmed from the steady performance of starting pitcher and eventual Finals MVP Amiel Belgar.

Belgar, who also pitched a complete game in the series opener, delivered another no-relief effort, allowing just four hits and a solitary run from the Junior Green Batters.

"It's not the switch, but it's about the stability of Amiel on the mound. I think we had three errors that could have helped La Salle—actually, it was Tapia and Veloso who were hitting—of course, kaming mga coaches had the confidence to give it to Amiel. He asked for it, he asked for this game. I was actually weary because I know he's tired, and his teammates were like, 'Coach, we are more confident on defense if Amiel is on the mound.' I heard them, and Amiel was able to prove himself," Bernardo said.

With their ace on point, the Admirals’ batters found their stride, tallying 10 hits in the contest. Chavez led the charge with two hits that produced two RBIs, while Villarosa, also a graduating senior, had three hits and one RBI, scoring Chavez.

Joaquin Salvador and Matt Genota combined for three hits, helping Southridge reach this historic milestone.

The Junior Green Batters initially took the lead with a run in the third inning, capitalizing on a rare walk off Belgar to Carlos Zulueta. A series of errors allowed the run, but it remained the only blemish on Southridge’s otherwise dominant defense.

DLSZ, the league’s most decorated team with four titles, managed only four hits, with Juancho Gatmaitan accounting for two. Laurence Valeros (ERA 4.849), the season’s Best Pitcher, entered in the sixth inning but could not contain the Admirals’ rally.

Southridge also celebrated JC Basañes as Best Hitter (.441 batting average) and Genota for Most RBIs with 11. The Junior Green Batters’ Aljun Tapia earned Most Home Runs with one.

National University Nazareth School finished third, led by John Denrick Plaza, the Season’s Most Valuable Player, while defending champion University of Santo Tomas ended fourth, with Van Joshua Ibabao taking Most Stolen Bases (16).

TEAMS    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    R    H    E
DLSZ    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    x    1    4    13
SOUTHRIDGE    0    0    0    1    1    3    1    5    x    11    7    4

Postseason cast for UAAP HS Beach Volleyball formalized

It’s the same cast in the girls’ division of the UAAP high school beach volleyball tournament.

Adamson University, National University Nazareth School, and Far Eastern University-Diliman secured victories on Friday to join the University of Santo Tomas in the semifinals at Sands SM By The Bay.

The Baby Falcons’ Maegan Pineda and Ella Gonzalvo defeated UP Integrated School’s Anya Capus and Niña Abad, 21-9, 21-5, and De La Salle-Zobel’s Aislinn Alemaña and Tessa Bonafe, 21-11, 21-10, improving their record to 5-1.

Back-to-back title-seeking Bullpups also rose to 5-1 as Faith Mangyao and Alaiza Candelario toppled University of the East’s Janella Mangahis and Nicole Agustin, 21-13, 21-8.

The Baby Tamaraws claimed the last Final Four spot, as Franz Premaylon and Alexa Amana defeated DLSZ’s Alemaña and Bonafe, 21-16, 21-12. Premaylon and Claire Bongo later sealed their place by sweeping Ateneo’s Louise Atienza and Ainsly Santiago, 21-13, 21-11.

The Fighting Maroons and the Junior Lady Spikers bowed out of contention, finishing with identical 2-5 records.

University of Santo Tomas moved closer to a perfect seven-match sweep after Cheng Dadang and Angelica Del Mar overpowered UPIS’ Capus and Abad, 21-7, 21-9. UST will aim for a flawless 7-0 campaign against NUNS at 7 a.m. Saturday.

On the boys’ side, the race for the final two semifinals berths remains wide open.

Adamson secured a playoff spot with a 4-2 record after Brice Malinao and James Bernabe edged UPIS’ Marco Bamba and Prince Jimenez, 21-17, 12-21, 15-6, and then overcame UE’s Mharl Dullete and Emman Marcelino, 25-23, 21-16.

FEU-D’s James Coronel and Kenneth Maliwanag stayed in contention by defeating DLSZ’s Luis Papa and Brett Urriquia, 21-11, 21-14, and UPIS’ Bamba and Jimenez, 21-15, 17-21, 15-12.

The Baby Tamaraws are now tied with the Junior Warriors at 3-3, just one game behind the Baby Falcons.

Friday’s 10:45 a.m. match between Adamson and FEU-D, followed by a 2:45 p.m. clash between UE and Ateneo, will determine the three teams’ Final Four fates.

Defending champion UST and NUNS will battle for the No. 1 ranking at 10 a.m.

JP Apidian and Karl Escobal gave the Tiger Sands a 6-0 record after dominating Ateneo’s Xavier Castillo and Miguel Avendano, 21-4, 21-8.

The Bullpups also extended their unbeaten streak to six matches as Ronnie Millan and Kian Tan defeated DLSZ’s Papa and Arguelles, 21-13, 21-13.

Meanwhile, the Fighting Maroons and the Junior Green Spikers fell to 1-5.

Bullpups stun Ateneo to earn share of second in High School Basketball

c/o UAAP

Games on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium
8 a.m. - Ateneo vs UST (Girls)
10 a.m. - Ateneo vs UE (Boys)
12 p.m. - AdU vs FEU-D (Boys)
2 p.m. - NUNS vs UST (Boys)
4 p.m. - UPIS vs DLSZ (Boys)

Shaun Lucido caught fire from beyond the arc at the perfect moment as National University Nazareth School exacted revenge against Ateneo de Manila University, 81-78, to climb to a share of second place in the UAAP Season 88 Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

Trailing by three at 74-71 with 1:55 left, Lucido — who had missed his first four three-point attempts — sank two consecutive triples that propelled the Bullpups to a 77-74 lead with less than a minute remaining, effectively completing NUNS’ comeback from a lopsided 63-86 first-round loss to the Blue Eagles last January 22.

It was a day of comebacks, as co-captain Charles Esteban and Nigerian center Ola Ajani rallied defending champion University of Santo Tomas in the clutch to stun the University of the East, 60-57, marking a strong return to the win column.

With the results, NUNS and Ateneo are now tied at second in the standings with identical 6-2 records, while UST tied UE for sixth place with 3-5 slates.

Far Eastern University-Diliman, which ended the first round with a 6-1 slate, is currently facing De La Salle-Zobel as of publishing.

“Alam ko struggling siya ‘eh — 0-of-4 sa three-points — sabi ko lang sa kanya, itira niya lang, papasok din yan. Timely baskets, back-to-back three-points, ‘yon yung nagdala sa game namin — yung tapang niya,” Bullpups head coach Kevin de Castro said.

 “Shaun is Shaun ‘eh, given na ‘yon. Siya talaga yung primary guy namin sa offense, pero kailangan niya matutunan dumepensa,” he added.

The Blue Eagles had stayed in control earlier as two Ziv Espina layups and a Renzo Gatmaitan triple built a 73-66 lead with 5:55 left. But the Bullpups, behind a Mot Matias layup and a Chad Cartel triple, cut the deficit to 73-71 with 3:46 remaining.

With Noah Banal making only one of his three free throws, Lucido seized the moment, hitting back-to-back triples that gave NUNS a crucial 77-74 lead with 46.7 seconds left.

From there, the Bullpups played the foul game, with Matias, Lucido, and Corian Cabantog each converting a free throw to seal the final score and NUNS’ sixth win in eight games.

Lucido led NUNS with 23 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, while Malian center Moussa Diakite contributed a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, plus one steal. Cartel added 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal, while Kurl Figueroa chipped in 10 points, six rebounds, and one steal. Matias nearly posted a double-double with nine points, nine rebounds, four steals, and two assists.

For Ateneo, Ziv Espina paced the team with 18 points, one rebound, one assist, one steal, and one block, while Unri Madrangca scored 18 points on six triples, adding three steals, one block, and one rebound. Banal finished with 15 points and four rebounds, while Nigerian center Jude Eriobu posted a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds with five blocks.

In the earlier game, the Junior Warriors appeared poised to dominate the Tiger Cubs, as two triples from Jamal Diaz gave UE a nine-point, 54-45 lead with 6:30 remaining. But UST showed its championship poise in the clutch.

Esteban scored four points before Jetlee Melano made back-to-back layups, and team captain Kirk Canete converted a triple to pull the Tiger Cubs within 57-56 with 78 seconds left.

Esteban’s heroics continued, as he made another layup and forced a turnover on UE’s Ethan Aguas with 31.9 seconds left, setting up Ajani for a dagger floater that extended UST’s lead to 60-57 with 9.5 seconds remaining.

The Junior Warriors had a chance to force overtime, closing the game with a 15-3 run, but Aguas and Mhico Abellar missed separate attempts for the game-tying triple. The victory boosted UST’s Final Four hopes.

“Very satisfied ako na nakuha namin yung panalo, and nag-step up si Ola and si Charles, kasi sabi ko nga, missing link talaga sila doon sa veterans ko nung first round. Sa second round, good start pinakita nila kaagad na kailangan nila tumulong at kaya nila tumulong,” Tiger Cubs head coach Manu Iñigo said.

Ajani finished with a dominant double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds, plus one steal and one block, while Esteban had 11 points, three rebounds, two steals, and one block. Simon Pulongbarit added 10 points, four rebounds, and one steal, and Melano contributed nine points, three steals, two rebounds, and one block. Canete ended with six points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

For UE, Diaz was the only double-digit scorer with 14 points, five rebounds, and three steals, while Abellar finished with eight points, two rebounds, and one assist. Aguas was limited to six points on 2-of-7 shooting with nine rebounds, while Sizco Roquid was held scoreless on four attempts but added eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.

The Scores:

First Game:

UST (60) - Ajani 13, Esteban 11, Pulongbarit 10, Melano 9, Canete 6, Canapi 5, Ludovice 3, Bathan 3, Sta. Maria 0, Lapastora 0, Vidanes 0, Candare 0, Bohol 0.

UE (57) - Diaz 14, Abellar 8, Timbol 7, Aguas 6, Pascual 6, Edoukou 5, Lorenzo 5, Braga 4, Bual 2, Roquid 0, Delos Reyes 0, Oraa 0.

Quarterscores: 12-22, 27-31, 43-48, 60-57.

Second Game:

NUNS (81) - Lucido 23, Diakite 16, Cartel 12, Figueroa 10, M. Matias 9, Cabantog 6, Bouzina 3, Juan 2, R. Matias 0, Natinga 0.

Ateneo (78) - Espinas 18, Madrangca 18, Banal 15, Eriobu 13, Leal 9, Gatmaitan 3,Kallos 2, Kaw 0, Lacsamana 0.

Quarterscores: 21-22, 45-47, 62-66, 81-78.

Lady Bullpups snap UST's 10-game streak, completes first round sweep

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 Girls' Basketball Tournament
NUNS 3-0
UST 2-1
DLSZ 1-2
Ateneo 0-3

After four lopsided and heartbreaking losses, National University Nazareth School finally cracked the code in solving defending champion University of Santo Tomas.

The Lady Bullpups stormed out of the gates by scoring the first 16 points of the game and later weathered anxious moments in the third period to secure a breakthrough 74-62 victory over the Junior Growling Tigresses, to sweep first round of the UAAP Season 88 Girls’ Basketball Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Adamson Gym in Manila.

Prior to the contest, NUNS — which joined the division in Season 87 — had absorbed four straight losses to UST in UAAP girls’ basketball, with an average losing margin of 16.5 points per game.

More importantly, the triumph kept the Lady Bullpups on top of the four-team field with a pristine 3-0 win-loss record, while also snapping UST’s (2-1) 10-game winning streak dating back to its perfect championship run in Season 87.

“Yung dinedevelop ko kasi sa mga bata, yung pagiging mature nila — ’yon yung kailangan namin. Kailangan kung ano yung mga lapses namin last year, ’yon yung mga kailangan namin tuunan ng pansin para makuha namin ito — at nakuha nga,” NUNS head coach Ai Lebornio said.

“Yung lahat ng experience namin from Brunei to Manila Meet to mga tune-up games namin, binalik ko sila doon after ng third quarter ’eh. Nakuha namin yung kumpyansa namin doon dahil walang imposible hangga’t may oras,” she added.

Aubrey Lapasaran and Zaydhen Rosano set the tone early as NUNS raced to a 16-0 lead and built a comfortable 47-30 advantage at halftime.

The Lady Bullpups hit a rough patch in the third quarter, however, as they allowed the Junior Golden Tigresses to pour in 26 points while being limited to just eight on 2-of-12 shooting, entering the fourth quarter trailing by one, 66-65.

UST appeared poised to extend its momentum by scoring the first four points of the payoff period, but NUNS refused to let a historic breakthrough slip away.

The Lady Bullpups responded with a decisive 13-point run — highlighted by back-to-back Rosano layups and a KJ Badajos floater — to reclaim control and build a 68-60 cushion with 4:46 remaining.

From there, UST struggled to find answers against NUNS’ late surge, as the Lady Bullpups tacked on six more points — capped by two consecutive Bri Katigbak layups — to seal the comeback victory and the final scoreline with 29.9 seconds left.

Lapasaran led the charge for the Lady Bullpups with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Rosano delivered a stellar all-around performance of 14 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and five steals.

Badajos added 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Ruiza Olmos and Katigbak contributed eight and seven points, respectively.

On the other side, Pia Petalcorin was the lone double-digit scorer for the Junior Growling Tigresses, finishing with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting to go along with two rebounds and one steal.

Season 88 Elite Team member Riri Perez was held to eight points on 1-of-14 shooting with four turnovers, while Indonesian center Koukou Talla tallied eight points, 11 rebounds, one steal, and one block.

The Scores:

NUNS (74) - Lapasaran 17, Rosano 14, Badajos 11, Olmos 8, Katigbak 7, Singson 6, Mallari 4, Agad 4, Sales 2, Onate 1, Luzana 0.

UST (62) - Petalcorin 15, Pinuela 8, Perez 8, Talla 8, Oczon 6, Anacan 6, Labay 4, Insoy 4, Abrantes 3, Townes 0, Hew 0.

Quarterscores: 24-9, 47-30, 55-56, 74-62.

Adamson ends Ateneo undefeated run in UAAP HS Basketball

c/o UAAP

Games on Sunday at the Adamson Gym

8 a.m. - Ateneo vs UPIS (Boys)
10 a.m. - FEU-D vs AdU (Boys)
12 p.m. - UE vs DLSZ (Boys)
2 p.m. - UST vs NUNS (Boys)
4 p.m. - UST vs NUNS (Girls)

Jarl Artango and Chrys Gomez came through in the clutch as Adamson University stunned erstwhile-unbeaten Ateneo de Manila University, 77-73, to notch its third win in the UAAP Season 88 Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Thursday morning at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.

Gomez sank a timely midrange jumper that pushed the Baby Falcons’ lead to 76-70 with 2:09 remaining, setting the stage for consecutive turnovers by the Blue Eagles. Artango then sealed the upset with a dagger free throw at the three-second mark.

Meanwhile, Cabs Cabonilas put on a dominant display, tallying 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks as Far Eastern University-Diliman cruised to its fourth straight win with a 79-61 dismantling of De La Salle Zobel.

The contrasting victories leave FEU-D sharing first place with Ateneo, both holding 5-1 records, while Adamson returned to the win column emphatically, improving to 3-3 in their penultimate first-round outing.

“The game plan today was to limit their import, kaya lang 27-27 pa rin ‘eh. Ang back-up plan lang namin was to try to limit their other players, we were able to do it naman. Offensively, sabi ko lang attack, attack, attack palagi,” Adamson head coach Mike Fermin said.

“This win comes with maturity talaga. We’re just pounding them and instilling in them na dapat every game or every training, you treat this like your last. Ang lagi lang namin iniisip, wala kami sa top four ngayon. ‘Yon nag-ffuel sa amin to be better,” he added.

Ateneo had clawed back from a 53-39 deficit to trail 61-58 heading into the fourth quarter. But the Baby Falcons opened the payoff period with a decisive 10-4 run — capped by a floater and two free throws from Artango — to restore a 71-62 lead with 6:13 left.

The Blue Eagles stayed within striking distance, as Jude Eriobu’s free throw, a Jay-M Leal layup, and a Noah Banal triple cut the gap to 76-73 with 2:12 left. Adamson, however, leaned on its defensive identity in the endgame to deny Ateneo any further comeback.

After Banal and Leal missed separate three-point attempts, Artango stole the ball from Ziv Espinas, and Noah Bautista followed with a pickpocket against Banal, keeping the pressure on. Ateneo resorted to fouling, with Artango sinking his first free throw before intentionally missing the second to prevent the Blue Eagles from gaining another clear shot from beyond the arc.

Artango finished with 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Gomez contributed 13 points, five steals, two rebounds, and one assist. Bautista added 10 points, five rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal, with Mac Jenodia and Fran Flores chipping in eight points each in the hard-fought victory.

For Ateneo, Eriobu led the way with 27 points, 27 rebounds, four blocks, and one steal, followed by Banal with 11 points, six rebounds, and one assist. Espinas added 11 points and seven rebounds, while Leal contributed nine points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one block.

In the earlier game, De La Salle Zobel had erased an early 27-10 deficit to trail 41-33 at halftime, but FEU-D responded with a dominant third quarter. JB Cagurungan opened the second half with eight straight points before Cabonilas, Marc Burgos, and Khean Esperanza led a 22-4 run to stretch the Baby Tamaraws’ lead to 63-37.

That third-quarter surge proved decisive. A five-point spurt from Cabonilas, including a triple and putback, along with a Cagurungan three-pointer and Esperanza layup, kept the Junior Archers down 73-57 with 3:01 remaining.

“They made a run, pero I think we did our job defensively. Medyo nawalan lang ng discipline because we had a lead. Medyo nawalan kami ng discipline on shot attempts and selection. Nung third quarter, binalikan namin ‘yon na we have a good lead, kaya we cannot keep on shooting,” FEU-D head coach Mike Reyes said.

Burgos finished with 11 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block, while Cagurungan added 11 points on three triples, with five rebounds and one block. Esperanza contributed 10 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals, while Pat Sohm rounded out FEU-D’s balanced attack with six points and three rebounds.

For DLSZ, Maco Dabao was limited to 16 points on 6-of-21 shooting but added six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. Nigerian center Yusuf Mikailu delivered a double-double with 11 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks, and one steal.

The Scores:

First Game:

FEU-D (79) - Cabonilas 21, Burgos 11, Cagurungan 11, Esperanza 10, Sohm 6, Raneses 4, Hall 4, Carino 4, Gaye 4, Alagaban 4, D. Santos 2, J. Santos 0, Enriquez 0, Dagcutan 0.

DLSZ (61) - Dabao 16, Mikailu 11, Favis 7, Arejola 5, Borrero 5, Ferrer 5, Atienza 4, Llamas 4, Luna 3, A. Alpapara 1, O. Alpapara 0, Reyes 0, Tan 0, Dimayuga 0.

Quarterscores: 21-10, 41-33, 63-41, 79-61.

Second Game:

AdU (77) - Artango 24, Gomez 13, Bautista 10, Jenodia 8, Flores 8, Frogoso 6, Iledan 4, Babad 3, Garcia 1.

Ateneo (73) - Eriobu 27, Banal 11, Espinas 11, Leal 9, Madrangca 5, Gatmaitan 4, Kaw 4, Kallos 2, Lacsamana 0, Reyes 0, Jazul 0.

Quarterscores: 22-26, 47-36, 61-58, 77-73.

La Salle-Zobel throttles Ateneo for solo third spot in UAAP Girls Basketball

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 Girls Basketball Tournament Standings
NUNS 2-0
UST 2-0
DLSZ 1-2
Ateneo 0-3

Games on Thursday at the Filoil Centre
9 a.m. -  FEU-D vs DLSZ (Boys)
11 a.m. - AdU vs Ateneo (Boys)
1 p.m. - NUNS vs UE (Boys)
3 p.m. - UST vs UPIS (Boys)

De La Salle Zobel reasserted its dominance over rival Ateneo de Manila University, 101-21, closing the first round of the UAAP Season 88 Girls’ Basketball Tournament on a high note Sunday afternoon at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

Eager to bounce back from a two-game skid against University of Santo Tomas and National University Nazareth School, the Junior Lady Archers relied on the combined efforts of Apyang Dulay, Sofia Martinez, and Bing Padigos for a commanding 50-10 first-half performance that set the tone for the rest of the game.

Dulay finished with 18 points, nine steals, four rebounds, and one assist, while Martinez added 15 points, seven steals, five rebounds, and three assists, helping the Junior Lady Archers claim sole possession of third place in the four-team field and improve their record to 1-2.

“I think this is a big step for us dahil yung confidence ng mga bata, bumalik. Nung previous games kasi namin, 30 or 50 points yung lamang ng kalaban. Mas masarap maglaro pag ganitong version na ng La Salle yung lumalabas sa amin,” DLSZ head coach Louie Fernandez said.

The Junior Lady Archers, who have won all their encounters with the Blue Eagles since the inception of high school basketball in 2019, wasted no time dictating the tempo. They opened with a dominant 26-4 first quarter, and consecutive baskets by Ima Navarro and Ching Ching Gales closed the second quarter, giving DLSZ a commanding 50-10 halftime lead.

The story continued in the third quarter as a midrange jumper by Martinez, a Gales inside basket, and two consecutive Dulay layups extended DLSZ’s lead to 73-15 heading into the final period—an advantage Ateneo could not overcome.

Padigos contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, five steals, two assists, and one block, while Navarro added 13 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and one assist.

Gales finished with 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting, eight rebounds, six steals, and one assist, while Ice Gerona came one point shy of a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and two assists.

For Ateneo, Tyler Templo scored 14 of the Blue Eagles’ 21 points, along with five rebounds, four steals, and one block, as the team continues to search for its first-ever UAAP girls’ basketball win since the division was inaugurated in Season 82.

The Scores:

DLSZ (101) - Dulay 18, Martinez 15, Padigos 14, Navarro 13, Gales 10, Gerona 9, Winrar 8, Sanares 6, Contreras 4, Ogario 2, Cuaresma 2, Roque 0.  

Ateneo (21) - Templo 14, Ablang 4, Doque 2, Gozum 1, Molina 0, Ebao 0, Palmiery 0, Dalanon 0, Mariano 0, Vejerano 0, Trillo 0, Madamba 0.

Quarterscores: 26-6, 50-10, 73-15, 101-21.

Ateneo winning streak in HS Basketball extended to five

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 Boys’ Basketball Tournament Standings
Ateneo 5-0
FEU-D 4-1
NUNS 3-2
DLSZ 3-2
UE 2-3
AdU 2-3
UST 1-4
UPIS 0-5

Boys Games on Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre
9 a.m. -  FEU-D vs DLSZ
11 a.m. - AdU vs Ateneo
1 p.m. - NUNS vs UE
3 p.m. - UST vs UPIS

Jude Eriobu finished what Ziv Espinas started as Ateneo de Manila University extended the woes of defending champion University of Santo Tomas with a 100-88 victory to remain unbeaten through five games in the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament, Sunday afternoon at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

Espinas ignited the Blue Eagles’ spirited comeback late in the third quarter, before Eriobu took over down the stretch, scoring eight of Ateneo’s final 17 points to stretch their perfect run to five wins and hand the Tiger Cubs a fourth loss in five outings.

Meanwhile, Cabs Cabonilas and Pat Sohm powered Far Eastern University-Diliman to its third straight victory, leaning on a dominant fourth quarter to secure a 96-73 triumph over the University of the East.

With the contrasting results, Ateneo remained on top of the eight-team standings, still a game ahead of FEU-D, which improved to 4-1. UST stayed in seventh place with a 1-4 slate, while UE slipped to a share of sixth with Adamson University at 2-3.

“It was the players who really won the game today. As much as we prepared for this game, and I know we’re prepared, it was the players -- they really wanted to win,” Blue Eagles head coach Bacon Austria said. “Not to brag or anything, we knew what we really wanted to do, it was a matter of executing it down the stretch.”

A floater by LJ Lapastora gave UST an 80-72 cushion with 1:35 remaining in the third quarter, but Espinas sparked Ateneo’s decisive 16-2 run with nine points, turning the tide and giving the Blue Eagles a 78-72 lead with over seven minutes left.

The Tiger Cubs refused to fold as Jetlee Melano knocked down two free throws and Charles Esteban scored on a layup to cut the deficit to 83-81 with 5:41 remaining. However, EK Kaw drilled a timely triple before Eriobu showed nerves of steel in the closing minutes.

The 17-year-old Nigerian center scored eight straight points to restore a 92-86 cushion with 1:25 left, before Banal calmly converted four free throws to seal Ateneo’s hard-fought, come-from-behind win.

Eriobu finished with a dominant double-double of 28 points and 21 rebounds, along with one block and one assist. Banal added 25 points, three assists, two steals, and two rebounds, while Jay-M Leal chipped in 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists.

Espinas narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds, to go with two assists and one block.

JC Canapi led UST with 24 points, three steals, one rebound, and one assist, while Wacky Ludovice contributed 15 points, three assists, two rebounds, one steal, and one block. Esteban tallied 13 points, four steals, three rebounds, and one assist, while Kirk Cañete added 12 points, six assists, four rebounds, and one steal.

In the other game, after Gab delos Reyes and Jolo Pascual hit back-to-back triples to knot the game at 61-all, graduating forward Marc Burgos scored six straight points before Sohm finished a layup to give the Baby Tamaraws a 69-61 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Louie Bual opened the final period with a triple to keep the Junior Warriors within five, 69-64, but that was as close as UE would get. FEU-D responded with a decisive 15-2 run—capped by two Prince Cariño free throws and a Sohm layup—to build an 86-66 advantage with 5:03 remaining.

“Nagawa nung players yung adjustments that we had to do on defense [noong fourth quarter], kaya 12 points lang sila. Mainly, it was their transition attack that we stopped, they had their shots, but luckily, nag-miss sila,” Baby Tamaraws head coach Mike Reyes said.

Cabonilas led FEU-D with 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting, along with 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block. Burgos added 12 points, seven rebounds, and one assist.

Sohm finished with eight points, five rebounds, three steals, and one block, while Khean Esperanza, Nigerian center Assan Gaye, Adi Alagaban, and Dwyne Enriquez each scored eight points in the win.

For UE, Mhico Abellar paced the Junior Warriors with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Delos Reyes added 11 points, two assists, and one rebound.

Ethan Aguas was limited to seven points on four shot attempts, along with five rebounds and one block, while Sizco Roquid continued to struggle, finishing with two points on 1-of-7 shooting, two turnovers, two rebounds, and one assist.

The Scores:

Third Game:

FEU-D (96) - Cabonilas 22, Burgos 12, Esperanza 8, Gaye 8, Sohm 8, Alagaban 8, Enriquez 8, Cagurungan 7, Dagcutan 5, Hall 4, Carino 4, Raneses 2, J. Santos 0, Dulin 0, D. Santos 0.

UE (73) - Abellar 12, Delos Reyes 11, Bual 9, Pascual 8, Aguas 7, Lorenzo 5, Edoukou 5, Oraa 5, Braga 4, Diaz 3, Roquid 2, Timbol 2, Orca 0, Panganiban 0, Copada 0.

Quarterscores: 32-28, 50-46, 69-61, 96-73.

Fourth Game:

Ateneo (100) - Eriobu 28, Banal 25, Leal 17, Madrangca 9, Espinas 9, Kaw 6, Kallos 6, Gatmaitan 2, Lacsamana 2.

UST (88) - Canapi 24, Ludovice 15, Esteban 13, Canete 12, Melano 11, Lapastora 5, Ajani 4, Bathan 2, Pulongbarit 2, Vidanes 0, Sta. Maria 0, Candare 0.

Quarterscores: 24-17, 41-47, 66-70, 100-88.

UST blowout ensure ownership of UAAP high school baseball leaderboard after first round

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 High School Baseball Standings
TEAM W-L
UST 3-1
DLSZ 2-2
NUNS 2-2
SRG 2-2
Ateneo 1-3

In a finals rematch seven years in the making, defending champion University of Santo Tomas reasserted its mastery over Ateneo de Manila University with an 18-6, seven-inning rout to secure the top spot at the end of the first round of the UAAP Season 88 High School Baseball Tournament on Wednesday.

The Junior Golden Sox’s third win in four games provided a timely boost heading into the second round, still to be held at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Coliseum, as they bounced back from an 11-13 upset loss to PAREF Southridge in their previous outing.

“Huwag lang maliitin ang kalaban kahit nakikita nila na tinatambakan ng previous games, parehong magagaling yan minalas lang ang mga yun. Kapag nag kumpyansa kasi, pag naiskoran mabibigla na lang ang player hindi na makabangon. Killer instinct dapat, hindi puwedeng nagkukumpyansa,” said UST head coach Jeffrey Santiago, recalling his reminders to the team before the game.

Joshua Ibabao starred for UST with a perfect day at the plate, reaching safely in all five of his plate appearances. The third baseman drove in five runs on three hits—including a double and a triple—while also drawing two walks. He stole three bases and crossed the plate in all five appearances.

Right fielder Joem Paragas also delivered, going 3-for-4 with two triples as the Junior Golden Sox piled up 12 hits, showcased patience with nine walks, and capitalized on Ateneo’s six errors.

UST applied pressure early with a 15-run outburst in the first four innings, a deficit Ateneo could not overcome despite a four-run rally in the top of the fifth that trimmed the gap to 15-6.

The Junior Golden Sox added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of Paragas, Ibabao, and Jacky Lobos on a passed ball, an error, and a Marcus Dela Cerna single, respectively. Eugene Hermozura then closed the game by retiring the side in the top of the seventh to enforce the mercy rule.

Ponce Ignacio paced Ateneo with three RBIs on a double to left field in the fifth inning, while ace pitcher Mio Ilagan lasted just 1 1/3 innings after surrendering three hits and five walks that led to six early runs.

The Blue Eagles absorbed their second straight loss, dropping to 1-3 and sliding to solo fifth place.

Meanwhile, De La Salle Zobel forced a three-way tie for second place after outlasting National University Nazareth School, 9-8, in 10 innings.

DLSZ, NUNS, and Southridge will all carry identical 2-2 records heading into the second round.

The Junior Green Batters appeared in control early, building a 7-1 lead, but the Bullpups stormed back with a five-run seventh inning and added another in the eighth to knot the contest at 7-all.

With two outs and Juancho Gatmaitan on first in the bottom of the ninth, Carlos Zulueta ripped a double to left field. Gatmaitan gambled and tried to score, but a perfect relay by NUNS cut him down at the plate, giving the Bullpups a walk-off opportunity.

DLSZ pitcher Andrei Valeros, however, kept NUNS scoreless to force extra innings.

In the 10th, the Junior Green Batters regained their composure as Alfonso Alcantara and Aljun Tapia knocked in automatic runners Gatmaitan and Zulueta on shallow singles to give DLSZ a 9-7 lead.

NUNS attempted to walk it off—or at least extend the game—after pinch hitter Steven Alfante laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Orlando Cedillo and John Adriano into scoring position. Kyle Montallana followed with a grounder to right field that brought Cedillo home.

Valeros, however, shut the door by striking out Vhins Adanza and John Plaza to seal the dramatic victory for DLSZ.

“We came sa talo against Ateneo, something similar na hinabol kami, so sabi ko hindi ko papabayaan ito. Kilala ko ang boys ko, kilala rin nila ang sarili nila. Kapag ayaw nilang ibigay, hindi talaga nila ibibigay (ang panalo),” said DLSZ head coach Gil Encarnado Jr.

Amadeus Trozado— the lone player to homer in the first round—led the Junior Green Batters with three hits, an RBI, and two stolen bases. Valeros was also a presence at the plate, drawing two intentional walks while adding a hit and two RBIs.

On the mound, Valeros was equally impressive. He worked the first 6 2/3 innings before briefly switching positions with shortstop Jan Soriano, then returned to pitch the final 2 1/3 frames, allowing just five hits and striking out 10 batters.

First Game:
Team    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    R    H    E
Ateneo    1    0    1    0    4    0    0    x    x    6    8    6
UST    2    5    5    3    0    3    x    x    x    18    12    3

Second Game:
Team    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    R    H    E
DLSZ    0    0    0    1    6    0    0    0    0    2    9    12    9
NUNS    0    0    0    1    0    0    5    1    0    1    8    6    4

Southridge earns comeback triumph over UST

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 HS Baseball Standings
NUNS 2-1
UST 2-1
SRG 2-2
DLSZ 1-2
Ateneo 1-2

Games on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium
8 a.m. - UST vs Ateneo
11 a.m. - NUNS vs DLSZ

Coming off a disastrous defeat, PAREF Southridge bounced back in spectacular fashion, pulling off a 13-11 upset over defending champion University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 88 High School Baseball Tournament on Saturday.

The Admirals recovered from their crushing 27-6, six-inning loss to National University Nazareth School last Wednesday, also at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Coliseum, to finish the first round with an even 2-2 record, currently sitting in solo third place.

Southridge built a commanding 9-0 lead after the fourth inning, but the once-unbeaten UST squad refused to fold easily.

The Junior Golden Sox rallied with 11 runs across the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to tie the game at 11, following Southridge’s two-run effort in the bottom of the fifth.

However, the Admirals showed resilience after what looked like a meltdown. Luis Chavez gave Southridge the lead in the bottom of the eighth, doubling down the left-field line, stealing third, and then scoring on a wild pitch.

Yano Antonio, stationed at third, extended the lead to 13-11 with a successful double steal alongside Mio Borja, who advanced from first to second.

Southridge closer JC Basañes then shut down UST in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. With a 1-1 count, Basañes struck out Van Ibabao in the next two pitches to leave the bases full and secure the gutsy victory.

“Number one, dapat hindi kami ganito manalo. We came from two sorry losses; we lost via mercy rule twice, so I told the boys that we’re forgetting to have fun and always remember kung sino kayo. You were the Palarong Pambansa champions two to three years ago,” said Admirals head coach Bocc Bernardo.

Aside from keeping the Junior Golden Sox scoreless in the final 2⅓ innings, Basañes also contributed two hits, including a double.

In the other game, National University Nazareth School overcame an error-prone Ateneo de Manila University, 9-4, for its second straight victory.

Trailing 0-4, the Blue Eagles cut the deficit in the top of the seventh inning with a two-run effort. A sacrifice fly by Tommy Oblea and an RBI single by Miguel Cruzat scored Janko Sevilla and Raffy Blaza, respectively, bringing Ateneo to 2-4.

But the Bullpups responded immediately in the bottom half, scoring five runs to widen the lead to 9-2. John Plaza, Orlando Cedillo, and Justin Lauriquez crossed the plate off hits by Lauriquez and Jericho Catchero, as well as a sacrifice hit by Chester Mateo.

Ateneo’s errors also played a role, with three miscues allowing Catchero and John Adriano to score, extending NUNS’ lead to 9-2.

“We’ll just keep improving lang every game. Alam namin marami pa kaming kailangang i-improve sa team kaya hindi kami titigil,” said head coach Romar Landicho, as NUNS tied UST atop the standings at 2-1 with its second straight win.

Lauriquez led the Bullpups’ offense with two hits, an RBI, and two stolen bases, while winning pitcher Vhins Adanza tossed six innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run.

Sancho Afuang and Raffy Blaza recorded two hits apiece for the Blue Eagles, who slipped to 1-2.

First Game:
TEAM    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    R    H    E
Ateneo    0    0    0    0    0    0    2    2    0    4    7    7
NUNS    1    0    1    1    1    0    5    0    x    9    8    2

Second Game:
TEAM    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    R    H    E
UST    0    0    0    0    3    4    4    0    0    11    7    3
SRG    2    3    0    4    2    0    0    2    x    13    11    4

UST smash La Salle-Zobel to open UAAP HS Girls Basketball title defense

c/o UAAP

Games on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym
8 a.m. - AdU vs UST (Boys)
10 a.m. - FEU-D vs NUNS (Boys)
12 p.m. - Ateneo vs DLSZ (Boys)
2 p.m. - UPIS vs UE (Boys)
4 p.m. - UST vs Ateneo (Girls)

University of Santo Tomas shook off early jitters to fend off De La Salle Zobel, 90-59, and open its UAAP Season 88 Girls’ Basketball Tournament title defense on a strong note Wednesday morning at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.

Moving on from the graduation of their championship core—Season 87 MVP Barby Dajao, Janna Wenceslao, and Grachelle Boteros—the Junior Growling Tigresses brushed aside a slow start behind a pivotal second-quarter surge led by Riri Perez, Lea Pinuela, and Indonesian center Koukou Talla.

Perez came close to finishing with a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, on top of three steals and two blocks. Talla provided solid support with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting clip, along with 12 rebounds, two assists, and one block.

With the victory, the Junior Growling Tigresses joined modern-day rival National University Nazareth School Lady Bullpups—who cruised past the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles last Sunday—as the early leaders in the four-team field.

“Kulang pa kami sa calmness and stability doon sa first few quarters. We hope na pagdating namin sa mga next games, slowly that the girls can adjust, lalo na yung bago na first-timer na naglalaro,” UST head coach Sen Dysangco said.

“I hope they will grow into it [and] that they mature fast enough para malabas nila yung laro nila,” he added.

After a sluggish opening quarter that saw the Junior Lady Archers lead by as many as five points, UST seized control with a commanding 28-15 second period. Back-to-back layups from Pinuela and an and-one basket by Sandra Abrantes highlighted the surge, as the Tigresses went into halftime with a 45-32 advantage.

From there, the Tigresses stayed firmly in the driver’s seat. Three straight layups by Pinuela, Perez, and Sabel Anacan capped a decisive 22-6 run that ballooned a 13-point lead into a commanding 67-38 cushion.

De La Salle Zobel showed signs of life when Ching Gales converted a layup to trim the deficit to 69-49 with under seven minutes remaining. However, a Perez three-pointer, a Janice Oczon layup, and a Talla free throw quickly restored an insurmountable 77-51 lead with 5:21 left on the clock.

Oczon chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds, and one steal, while Pinuela tallied 10 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals. Pia Petalcorin added eight points, two assists, two steals, one block, and one rebound, and Abrantes finished with seven points, four rebounds, two blocks, one steal, and one assist.

The Junior Growling Tigresses look to sustain their winning momentum when they clash with the Blue Eagles this Sunday, January 18, at 4 p.m. at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

For De La Salle Zobel, Ima Navarro led the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Gales contributed 13 points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block in the losing effort.

The Junior Lady Archers will aim for their first win when they face the Lady Bullpups next Thursday, January 22, at the same time and venue.

The Scores:

UST (90) - Perez 19, Talla 15, Oczon 13, Pinuela 10, Petalcorin 8, Abrantes 7, Townes 5, Labay 4, Mateo 4, Arciaga 3, Anacan 2, Kallos 0, Capinpin 0, Hew 0.

DLSZ (59) - Navarro 15, Gales 13, Martinez 9, Padigos 8, Ogario 6, Dulay 4, Gerona 3, Winar 1, Contreras 0, Roque 0, Sanares 0.

Quarterscores: 17-17, 45-32, 67-46, 90-59.

UAAP revives HS Baseball tournament, adds PAREF-Southridge

c/o UAAP

Games today at Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium
8 a.m. - DLSZ vs UST
11 a.m. - Southridge vs Ateneo

High school baseball is set to make its return to the UAAP after a six-year hiatus.

Last staged in Season 82 (2019), the UAAP High School Baseball Tournament comes back bigger this year with the inclusion of guest team PAREF-Southridge School.

The Admirals’ entry turns the competition into a five-team field, joining defending champion University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle Zobel, and National University Nazareth School.

The Junior Golden Sox will open their long-awaited title defense—seven years in the making— today (Wednesday) at the historic Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium, facing the Junior Green Batters in the opening game.

First pitch is set at 8 a.m.

“We are very much eager to defend the title. Kami ang kauna-unahang UAAP champion at kahuli-hulihang champion kaya we want to be the champion again sa pagbabalik ng UAAP high school baseball,” said UST head coach and local legend Jeff Santiago.

In Season 82, the Junior Golden Sox, then bannered by John Regalado and Justine Rosales—both of whom went on to make their mark at the collegiate level—defeated Ateneo, led by Season MVP Matt San Juan, in three games in the Finals.

Although the high school tournament has been held since Season 74 (2011), it only became a regular sport in Season 80 (2017). UST ruled the diamond in that inaugural run.

Southridge will make its tournament debut at 11 a.m. against Ateneo.

Admirals head coach Bocc Bernardo, who previously handled Ateneo’s collegiate team, where he remains as an assistant to Blue Eagles head coach Pepe Jose, is determined to make the most of the opportunity now that his high school squad has a platform to showcase its talent.

“Actually, it’s something that all high school players are looking forward to. Yung mga pending na naghihintay sa college kasi walang paglalaruan, ngayon nakabalik na. Everyone has been looking forward to this. It’s going to be a very competitive tournament. Very happy ako na nagawan ng paraan and happy ako nakasama yung Southridge,” shared Bernardo.

Southridge will lean on ace pitcher Joaquin Salvador, supported by a pitching staff that includes JC Basañes and Amiel Belga, along with slugger Matt Gelota.

Ateneo, meanwhile, will be led by Grade 12 ace pitcher Lorenzo de Guzman, catcher Nicolas Sevilla, infielder Santiago Afuang, and former Xavier School standout Tres Saguisag.

This marks the third UAAP event Southridge has joined, following high school boys’ football in Season 87, where they reached the Final Four, and high school boys’ swimming in Season 88.

“Well, we all know that our baseball team can compete. Marami sa alumnus ng Southridge is nakukuha sa college like Ateneo. I think, this year we will aim for the top two and work from there,” said the confident Bernardo, a former champion catcher for Ateneo.

National University Nazareth School will begin its campaign on Saturday at 8 a.m. against UST.

Games will be played every Wednesday and Saturday.

UE at cusp of clinching UAAP boys' volleyball title

c/o UAAP

Games Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym
2 p.m. – UE vs NUNS (Boys)
4 p.m. – NUNS vs FEU-D (Girls)

UNIVERSITY of the East displayed tremendous composure despite losing a four-point lead in the fifth set to outlast National University Nazareth School, 25-22, 21-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-13, moving closer to ending an 11-year title drought in the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys' Volleyball Tournament, Thursday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

It can be recalled that the Junior Warriors were the ones who handed the Bullpups their first loss in the elimination round, taking a 25-23, 25-18, 25-22 sweep last October 26 that snapped NUNS’s seven-game winning streak.

The Bullpups, in contrast, needed five sets to beat the Junior Warriors in their first encounter, 20-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-8, on September 28.

Clarence Gianan pushed the Junior Warriors to a 13-9 lead, but the Bullpups responded with four straight points capped by a Mikhael Abut service ace to tie the match at 13-13.

Playing its third straight five-setter dating back to the final day of eliminations, UE reached match point on a Jordino Perales ace, and NUNS doused any hopes of a lifeline after Al-raquib Dais’ spike went out of bounds.

Both teams needed the full two games to reach the Final Four after losing their semis openers that disarmed their twice-to-beat advantages.

NUNS fell to University of Santo Tomas, while UE was stunned by Far Eastern University-Diliman in the opening games.

The Bullpups recovered against the Junior Golden Spikers, 25–22, 25–19, 23–25, 26–24, and the Junior Warriors outlasted the Tamaraws, 21-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 15-9, last December 8 to forge a title clash.

Having endured consecutive marathon matches, the Junior Warriors have become tougher, with their eyes set on a 15th title and their first since completing an 11-peat in UAAP Season 77 (2014).

"Pinalalakas ko yung loob nila," said second-year UE coach Herbert Dizon.

Paul Roque led the Junior Warriors with a match-best 22 kills, Emmanuel Marcelino contributed 15 points and 24 receptions, while Gianan and Miguel Catanghal had 11 points each. Mharl Dullete added 30 excellent sets.

"Yung game namin, nag-contribute lahat. May mga time na naba-blangko na mga kasama ko pero gumagawa kami, humahanap kami ng paraan na maka-score at maka-contribute, individually and as a team," said Gianan.

For the Bullpups, Ragusta had 18 points, including two kills during their rally from a 9-13 deficit. Dais contributed eight blocks for a 13-point outing, while Christian Mangahoy also tallied 13 points.

UE goes for the jugular in Game 2 at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the same Katipunan venue.

Pingol, Okebata lead individual awardees in women's and U16 basketball

c/o UAAP

In her final year with National University, Ann Pingol made sure to leave her mark by capturing the biggest individual accolade in collegiate basketball.

The 5-foot-7 graduating winger was officially crowned the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Most Valuable Player on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Pingol, 24, who is also set to join Gilas Women for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, became just the third Lady Bulldog to win the league's highest individual plum after Afril Bernardino (UAAP Seasons 77–79, 2014–16) and Jack Animam (Season 80, 2017).

Built on two triple-double performances, the younger sister of former Adamson and NU standout Kaye Pingol tallied 93.571 statistical points — 2.142 SPs ahead of dethroned MVP Kacey Dela Rosa of Ateneo.

"Siguro, malaking confidence booster siya para sa akin. Nung first [year] ko pa lang sa UAAP, hindi ko naman ito ina-aim 'eh kasi kumbaga, I just play my game and kung ano lang flow ng system namin. Na-surprise lang ako na 'yon yung naging outcome," Pingol said.

She averaged 14.29 points, 8.93 rebounds, 5.14 assists, 3.57 steals, and 1.07 blocks per game in the Lady Bulldogs' 12-2 elimination round campaign.

In the junior high school boys’ division, Goodluck Okebata became the first University of the East Red Warrior in 21 years to win a regular season MVP award.

The last Red Warrior to claim the top individual honor was Julius Porlaje back in the UAAP Season 67 Junior Basketball Tournament in 2004.

Okebata, a 15-year-old Lambunao, Iloilo native standing at 6-foot-4, amassed 96.214 SPs off averages of 19.71 points, 13.43 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.29 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game in UE's fifth-place, 8-6 finish in Season 88. He edged out University of Santo Tomas’ Rowie Cabañero by just 0.571 SPs.

"Itong MVP na ito, it's not only for me. It's for my kuyas and sa mga coach ko rin na nagtiwala sa akin. Para rin ito sa mga magulang ko na nagtitiwala sa akin. Hindi lang sa akin itong MVP na ito, kung hindi para sa kanilang lahat ito," Okebata said.

Cabañero, a 5-foot-6 guard from Mahaplag, Leyte who also recorded two triple-double outings in the eliminations, was still named the Rookie of the Year in the 16-and-under division.

Joining Pingol and Dela Rosa in the women’s Elite Team are UST’s Kent Pastrana (86.643 SPs) and NU’s Kristine Cayabyab (73.571) and Angel Surada (71.714).

Meanwhile, the junior high school boys’ Elite Team is composed of Okebata, Cabañero, FEU-Diliman’s Dwyne Enriquez (89.286), NU-Nazareth School’s Moussa Diakite (85.143), and FEU-D’s Prince Cariño (84.769).

Ateneo’s Erica De Luna emerged as the women’s Rookie of the Year after finishing 25th in the SP race with 47.214, posting averages of 7.5 points, 4.43 rebounds, 2.57 assists, and 1.79 steals in her freshman campaign.

Also awarded their third-place trophies were Ateneo (collegiate women's) and UST (junior high school boys').

The Blue Eagles finished the elimination round as the third seed with an 8-6 record before defeating Adamson in the stepladder quarterfinal, 66-56.

Ateneo fell to NU in the semis, 79-84.

Meanwhile, the Junior Tiger Cubs were the second seed with a 10-4 slate but lost to FEU-D in the semifinal, 75-82.

NUNS, UE forge HS Boys Volleyball finals matchup

c/o UAAP

Top-seeded National University–Nazareth School and the University of the East advanced to the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Volleyball Finals following contrasting victories over the University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University–Diliman on Monday at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

The Bullpups, who suffered their second loss of the season to last year’s Finals rivals, the Junior Golden Spikers, via a sweep last Saturday, bounced back in a do-or-die match, defeating UST in four sets, 25–22, 25–19, 23–25, 26–24, to secure their sixth-straight Finals appearance.

The Junior Red Warriors, coming off their first defeat against the Baby Tamaraws—also last Saturday in a five-set thriller—needed the full five sets to prevail, 21–25, 25–22, 23–25, 25–19, 15–9, setting up a rematch of the Season 86 championship.

Back in 2024, NUNS, then led by Jeffe Gallego and Miguel Egger, defeated UE in three games to claim the title.

Game 1 of the best-of-three Finals is scheduled for Thursday, December 11, at 2 p.m., at the same Katipunan venue.

Newcomer Kiel Biscocho shrugged off first-timer nerves to lead the Bullpups against Rainier Lorayes and the defending champions, combining with leading opposite hitter Xandrex Ragusta to put NUNS ahead, 20–19, in the fourth set.

After a Christian Maghanoy point extended NUNS’s lead to 21–19, graduating middle blocker Zach Maude and Karl Escobal pulled UST back at 23-all. Biscocho and Ragusta, however, responded to the UST defense and set the match-point advantage, before Maude’s attack narrowly went wide, giving the Bullpups the win after two hours and five minutes.

“Actually, may in-adjust kami para sa UST, pero instead na maging effective, nakasama pa. So, bumalik lang kami do’n sa ginagawa namin dati, naging mas madali para sa kanila and mas naging comfortable sila, kaya nakuha namin ‘yung panalo,” said long-time NUNS head coach Edgar Barroga.

Ragusta finished with 20 points, while Biscocho added 17; the duo accounted for 37 of the Bullpups’ 56 spikes. Elmerson Lejano contributed 14 points, including four kill blocks.

Libero Geoff Deniega was instrumental in the win, recording a massive double-double of 11 digs and 33 excellent receptions, enabling setter and captain Brylle Crespo to deliver 34 excellent sets in NUNS’s well-oiled offense.

Rainier Lorayes starred for UST in his swan song with a game-high 23 points and 12 digs, while fellow senior Andrei Amaneo closed his high school career with 18 digs and 20 excellent receptions.

For the Junior Red Warriors, Khian Hiyao proved decisive, particularly in the fifth-set finishing run when Tyler Ramos and the Baby Tamaraws were mounting a comeback.

The 17-year-old rookie showed no signs of nerves, scoring two crucial points in the decider. Hiyao sent UE into double figures at 10–8 before helping fuel the final push with a solid block on Kenneth Maliwanag.

With both net and floor defense in their favor, the Baby Tamaraws failed to score in the closing stages, missing three straight attempts and handing the fifth frame—and the match—to the No. 2 seeds.

“Nakatulong siguro talaga ‘yung determination namin na makapasok sa Finals. ‘Yung focus talaga namin is do’n sa goal na ‘yon, ‘yon lang,” said second-year mentor Herbert Dizon, making his first-ever Finals appearance.

Hiyao started in place of captain and Season 87 Best Middle Blocker Clarence Gianan, who played as the starting opposite spiker, finishing with seven points. Fellow middle attacker Miguel Catanghal contributed 11 markers.

Emman Marcelino bounced back from a quiet Game 1 with a triple-double of 15 points, 12 digs, and 23 excellent receptions, while Paul Roque topped all UE scorers with 18 points on 16 spikes and two blocks.

Maliwanag exploded for 28 points on 23 attacks, adding four blocks and a service ace for the Baby Tamaraws, while Ramos finished with 16 markers.

Brix Landicho delivered 27 excellent sets in his final UAAP high school game for the bronze-medalist FEU-D.

UST, FEU-Diliman complete Final Four cast in UAAP Girls Volleyball

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 High School Girls' Volleyball Standings
**NUNS 13-1
**AdU 13-1
*FEU-D 9-5
*UST 8-6
DLSZ 7-7
UPIS 4-10
Ateneo 1-13
UE 1-13

** Twice-to-beat
*   Final Four

Matches on Saturday at the Blue Eagle Gym

9 a.m. - NUNS vs UST (Boys’ Final Four)
11 a.m. - UE vs FEU-D (Boys’ Final Four)
1 p.m. - AdU vs FEU-D (Girls’ Final Four)
3 p.m. - NUNS vs UST (Girls’ Final Four)

Far Eastern University–Diliman and University of Santo Tomas clinched the last two slots in the UAAP Season 88 High School Girls’ Volleyball Final Four after dispatching De La Salle Santiago Zobel School and University of the East in contrasting sweeps on Monday at the Paco Arena Sports and Events Center in Manila.

The Lady Baby Tamaraws had to fend off the Junior Lady Spikers in the first two sets before Aleah Devosora sparked a third-set rout to secure a 25–21, 25–18, 25–7 win and book their semifinals berth. The Junior Golden Tigresses, meanwhile, held the Junior Lady Warriors to single digits in all three frames for a commanding 25–4, 25–5, 25–8 victory.

FEU-D, which wrapped up the eliminations at 9–5, will face second-seeded Adamson University (13–1), which holds a twice-to-beat advantage. UST (8–6) will need back-to-back wins over National University–Nazareth School (13–1) to reach the best-of-three Finals.

Both semifinal matches are scheduled for Saturday, December 6 at the Blue Eagle Gym. If necessary, the do-or-die games will be held on Monday, December 8 at the same Katipunan venue.

“Ito, sobrang saya namin, kasi nga ang sinabi ko sa mga bata, sa mga players ko, ang target muna namin is makapasok sa Final Four, and nakuha naman namin,” said FEU-D head coach Joanne Bunag. “Number three kami ngayon; and ito, i-se-celebrate muna namin pero bukas trabaho na naman kami for semifinals.”

Devosora scored most of her 14 points in the third set as FEU-D capitalized on DLSZ’s passing and defensive lapses, breaking a 2–2 deadlock into a 20–6 cushion.

Outside hitter Aislinn Alemaña briefly stopped the bleeding with a middle hit to make it 7–22, but Alexa Amana quickly restored order with a kill. Bernadine Boston then denied Alemaña’s next swing to end the match after one hour and four minutes.

Nigerian reinforcement MJ Udeagbala led FEU-D with 16 points built on 12 attacks and four blocks, while Devosora added 13 spikes and an ace. Joeyana Bongo came close to a double-double with nine points and seven digs.

Alemaña finished with 11 points and six excellent receptions for DLSZ, but reigning Best Libero Angel Cenizal was limited to just eight digs. The Junior Lady Spikers ended their season at 7–7, settling for fifth.

UST, meanwhile, fielded all 16 players in its 47-minute domination of UE, with all non-liberos contributing to the scoring.

Middle blocker and second-generation athlete Erin Sotto led the way with 11 points on nine attacks and two aces, while team captain Kim Rubin anchored the serving line with six aces and three spikes.

Liberos Chasliey Pepito (four excellent receptions on six attempts) and Rochelle Olaguir (eight digs out of 12 attempts) helped steady UST’s floor defense to fuel its offense.

UE ended its comeback season at 1–13 in eighth place, tallying just six total kills—four from Daisy Tomaque and two from Janella Mangahis.

Meanwhile, league leaders National University–Nazareth School and Adamson University ended their elimination campaigns in style with sweeps of Ateneo High School and the University of the Philippines Integrated School, respectively.

Diza Berayo starred in the Lady Bullpups’ 25–12, 25–11, 25–15 win over Ateneo, finishing with 11 points, seven digs, and four excellent receptions as the defending champions secured the top seed in just 59 minutes.

Jelena Dait and Ainsly Santiago scored five points apiece for the Blue Eagles, who closed their season at 1–13 in seventh.

Adamson, behind Janessa Buhay and libero Maegan Pineda, needed just one hour and one minute to dismiss UPIS, 25–15, 25–13, 25–20.

Buhay delivered 11 points on eight attacks, one block, and two aces, complementing Pineda’s double-double of 11 digs and seven excellent receptions.

UPIS, led by Nina Abad’s 11 points and Anya Callo’s nine, finished sixth with a 4–6 record.

UST retains HS table tennis golden double for a third straight season

c/o UAAP

University of Santo Tomas completed a third straight golden double after sweeping the UAAP Season 88 High School Table Tennis tournaments, capping the Finals with decisive victories over Adamson University in the boys’ division and De La Salle Santiago Zobel School in the girls’, Friday at the Amoranto Sports Arena in Diliman, Quezon City.

Beyond securing a second double crown for this season’s host—following the triumphs of the swimming teams—the Junior Tiger Paddlers and Junior Lady Paddlers extended their unbeaten streaks to two consecutive seasons in this tournament backed by Huaching Foundation and Topcoms Marketing Inc.

Laurence Cuaycong and Anton Andre Bayona continued their dominant season form, guiding UST to a three-peat with an 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 masterclass over Seph Estrada and Rodel Millana in the lone doubles match of the second Finals tie.

“From the start of the season naman, mataas ‘yung confidence ko sa team talaga. And talagang pinakita naman ng team natin na deserved nilang mag-champion. At the start of the season, everybody stayed grounded talaga; so talagang ang goal lang is to get the championship, to defend the crown,” said long-time head coach Jackson Que.

On the girls’ side, fourth-year stalwart Padmae Vivas led the charge with an 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 sweep of this year’s Rookie of the Year Sari Velasco, and later secured a fourth straight title with a 3-1 win in the second Finals match.

“Actually, we’re not expecting to win this year. We’re expecting University of the East to come up as the champions. The girls did their best they could; so, ayon, we made it,” said long-time head coach Lorinda Wadjad.

Emmanuel Paculba Jr. and Joshua Bañas gave the Junior Tiger Paddlers an early 2-0 cushion with contrasting victories against Sharif Abirin and Justine Rama. Season MVP Paculba swept Abirin, 11-8, 12-10, 11-1, while Rookie of the Year Bañas went the distance in a five-set thriller, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, over Rama. Cuaycong and Bayona then closed out the tie against the same opponents they had beaten in the past two seasons.

“Wala naman akong sikreto kundi we trust God, ‘yun talaga. Binigay talaga ni Lord ‘tong lahat,” said Que, who also coaches the men’s team.

“Sa lahat ng papasok, be proud na makapasok sila sa one of the strongest teams sa UAAP and sa isa sa best schools in the Philippines. ‘Yun ‘yung gusto kong ma-feel nila and ma-realize nila.”

In the girls’ division, Season 86 and 87 MVP J-An Sanchez dominated Andrea Reblora, 11-2, 11-7, 11-8, but Kimberly Amandy responded with a marathon 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 12-14, 11-6 win over Kaira Agreda. Julianne Bandojo and Louise Manay eventually restored order with a 10-12, 11-8, 11-6, 12-14, 11-8 victory over Kimberly Odelmo and Chloe Silva, paving the way for Vivas’ finishing flourish.

“Ako kasi from the start, I’m not letting go of the title kasi nasa ‘kin ‘yung dalawa[ng malakas]. If UE thinks they could grab the gold, let them think that way, basta kami, we will fight. And as we keep on practicing, walang mawawala sa ‘tin kung ipaglalaban natin ‘yung sa pakiramdam natin ay atin naman,” Wadjad added.

UST had earlier cruised to 3-0 wins in the Finals openers in both divisions, setting the stage for this historic sweep. Cuaycong and Bayona clinched the first tie with an 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 win over Jnash Chavez and Miguel Rafael Reyes in doubles. Datahan and Bañas gave the team a 2-0 lead with victories over Millana (5-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5) and Gerald Noche (11-5, 11-7, 11-5), respectively.

The Junior Lady Paddlers’ doubles pair also secured the overall win, as Bandojo and Manay defeated Kathlyn Embile and Odelmo, 11-3, 11-4, 7-11, 11-3. Agreda, named MVP, and Vivas swept the first contest, beating Silva (11-5, 11-7, 11-4) and Amandy (13-11, 11-9, 11-7).