National University Sneakers Sweep First Round of UAAP Season 88 Juniors Basketball

MANILA – National University Nazareth School asserted dominance by defeating Ateneo de Manila University 99-74 in the UAAP Season 88 juniors basketball tournament, held Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. This victory allowed National University, known as the Bullpups, to sweep the first round of the competition.

Malian center Moussa Diakite spearheaded the Bullpups’ victory with a stellar performance, contributing 28 points, 19 rebounds, and three blocks. His efforts helped establish a commanding 76-48 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Supporting Diakite were Nick Peña with 14 points, Clark Khobuntin who added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Mark Arzola, who contributed 12 points, 11 assists, and three steals. Meanwhile, Ateneo’s Sky Jazul led his team with 25 points, while Domeng Ngo and Jude Ylen added 14 and 12 points respectively. Ateneo briefly closed the gap to 31-29 midway through the second quarter but could not sustain the momentum.

NU head coach Leo Pujante emphasized the importance of maintaining focus: "We still have to be competitive in practice. We cannot relax. We need to continue working hard. You have to respect your opponent every game, regardless of whether they’re strong or weak."

In another thrilling encounter, University of Santo Tomas (UST) narrowly edged out Adamson University 87-86 to claim sole possession of second place with a 5-2 record. Miguel Jubilado led the Tiger Cubs with 21 points, five assists, and three rebounds. His crucial three-pointer extended UST's lead to 87-78 with just over two minutes left, but Adamson rallied back behind Seb Esma and Keefy Iledan.

In the closing moments, Jubilado made a key split free throw following an Alison Jordan foul to keep UST ahead 87-84. Adamson’s Jordan scored a layup to make it 86-87 with seven seconds remaining, but after CJ Tabbuga missed two free throws, Adamson ran out of time to complete the comeback.

Assistant coach JM Lagumen praised his squad's perseverance: "During our preparations for this game, we emphasized the importance of this crucial matchup as we were tied in second place. Winning provides breathing room for the second round. Props to the kids for not giving up until the end."

Other notable contributors for UST included Dats Datu and Cab Castro with 14 points each, Tabbuga with 13 points and nine rebounds, and Rowie Cabañero posting 11 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists. Adamson’s Fran Flores led his team with 17 points and eight assists, followed by Jordan with 13 points, and Majiq Padrejuan and Kyle Abas both adding 10.

Currently, FEU-Diliman and University of the East hold third place with 4-2 records, followed by Adamson at 4-3 and Ateneo at 2-5. De La Salle Zobel and UP Integrated School remain at the bottom, yet to record a win at 0-6.