National University Nazareth School had to dig deep to secure its eighth straight win in the UAAP Season 87 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament, narrowly escaping Far Eastern University-Diliman, 59-57, on Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Bullpups improved to 8-0, maintaining their hold on the top spot, while the Baby Tamaraws suffered their second consecutive loss, dropping to 5-3 and falling to third place.
With reigning MVP Collins Akowe anchoring the defense, NU went on an 8-0 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters, transforming a slim 41-37 lead into a more comfortable 49-37 cushion.
However, the Baby Tamaraws refused to back down, trimming the deficit to just two, 59-57, with 27 seconds left after a basket from Sam Hall.
FEU had one final opportunity to either tie or win the game after forcing a defensive stop. Cabs Cabonilas, the leading local player in the statistical points race after the first round, had the ball in his hands but hesitated too long before attempting a floater that missed as time expired.
It was NUNS’ second close win as it fended off a late University of the East rally to pull off a 78-77 squeaker at the close of the first round.
“Hats off sa FEU, ang ganda ng gameplan nila. Heto ‘yung sinasabi ko sa mga bata na mahirap manalo sa second round. Na-test ‘yung maturity namin. Thankful pa rin na binigay sa amin ‘yung panalo, but we are not yet satisfied. Still, we’ll take this win,” said Bullpups head coach Kevin de Castro.
“For sure, we can’t be like this sa next games namin,” he added, acknowledging that NU must step up against defending champion Adamson Baby Falcons on Sunday.
Akowe continued his dominance with his eighth double-double of the season, finishing with 21 points, 24 rebounds, and two blocks.
Earlier in the day, the league announced that only Filipino players are eligible to win the MVP award. Akowe, who leads the SP race after the first round, took the news in stride.
“My thoughts on this is, there’s a reason for everything. I’m meant to play basketball. The goal is not the MVP — the goal is to win the championship for Nazareth School. It is what it is,” said the 19-year-old Nigerian, who remains in contention for the league’s first-ever Best Foreign Student-Athlete award.
Jid Locsin, Macmac Alfanta, and Migs Palanca contributed nine points each, with Locsin also tallying seven rebounds and six assists, while Palanca registered three blocks.
On the other side, Marc Burgos led the Baby Tamaraws with 19 points. Liam Salangsang added 14, and Cabonilas chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds. However, the trio combined for a cold 14-of-42 shooting performance.
In the earlier game, University of Santo Tomas extended its winning streak to seven after overpowering De La Salle-Zobel, 76-58.
Games on Sunday (Filoil EcoOil Centre)
8 a.m. – UST vs Ateneo (Girls)
10 a.m. – AdU vs NUNS (Boys)
12 noon – DLSZ vs UPIS (Boys)
2 p.m. – FEU-D vs Ateneo (Boys)
4 p.m. – UST vs UE (Boys)
