Adamson University moved on the cusp of a first-round sweep while National University Nazareth School solidified its hold of the second spot in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 high school boys’ basketball tournament yesterday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Baby Falcons blasted UP Integrated School, 103-72, to raise their record to 6-0, while the Bullpups extended their winning run to four with a 99-53 romp of De La Salle-Zobel.
In other games, defending champion Far Eastern University-Diliman hammered out a 66-58 win over University of the East to seize solo third while Ateneo checked a four-game skid, needing a huge fourth quarter to beat University of Santo Tomas, 74-59.
Zahir Sajili had 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists in a reserve role while Justine Garcia chipped in 13 points, seven assists, and three steals for Adamson.
Adamson coach Mike Fermin emphasized the need for his Baby Falcons to be aggressive against the winless Junior Fighting Maroons.
“Players did their job because we can’t take our opponents for granted. The moment you become complacent, that will be the start of your downfall,” Fermin said.
“In the first half, we were still trying to figure things out. But I told them to just stick to our game plan, which they did. They responded. We were able to get the win.”
Nigerian big man Collins Akowe imposed his will in the middle with 32 points, 22 rebounds, and three blocks to lead NUNS in raising its record to 5-1.
The 6-foot-10 Akowe, who grabbed a league-high school record of 29 rebounds in last Saturday’s 84-76 victory over UPIS, had 28 points and 13 rebounds in the first half where the Bustillos-based side opened a 54-24 lead.
The Baby Tamaraws moved up to 4-2, while the Tiger Cubs, who lost two in a row, dropped to fourth with a 3-3 slate.
The Blue Eagles raised their record to 2-4 to force a three-way tie with the Tiger Cubs and the Junior Archers from fifth to seventh spots.
Cabs Cabanillas logged 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals while Veejay Pre had a double-double outing of 10 points and 12 boards to go along with four blocks for FEU-Diliman.
As the tournament nears the end of the first round, coach Allan Albano wanted to see his Baby Tamaraws work as a team.
Kris Porter had a monster 20-20 outing of 21 points and 24 rebounds as Ateneo earned its first win since beating UPIS in the season opener.
Ateneo broke away from a 48-48 standoff with a huge 26-11 fourth quarter.
In a notable line, Ethan Egea played all 40 minutes for UPIS, finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
