San juan: University of the East (UE) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) scored important victories in the UAAP Season 88 boys' basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil Centre. The Junior Warriors defeated the University of the Philippines Integrated School Fighting Maroons with a decisive 94-61 victory, while the Tiger Cubs narrowly overcame Adamson University, 75-73, creating a tie for fourth place in the standings.
According to Philippines News Agency, both UE, UST, and Adamson now share identical 4-6 win-loss records. Jamal Diaz was instrumental for the Junior Warriors, contributing 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists, helping his team establish a commanding 60-28 lead by halftime. Eoin Braga supported with 14 points, while JM Edoukou added 10 points and five rebounds.
UE head coach Karl Santos remarked on the team's performance, acknowledging previous losses but expressing a desire for improvement. "We need to minimize our mistakes. Again, I'm not asking for perfection-I'm just asking for consistency, for effort," Santos stated.
For the Fighting Maroons, Jhustin Hallare delivered 21 points and six rebounds, followed by Bruce Tubongbaua with 17 points. Despite their efforts, the team remains winless this season.
On the other side, Kirk Canete led the Tiger Cubs with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Nigerian center Ola Ajani and Jetlee Melano also made significant contributions with 11 points each, while Adamson mounted a late surge in the fourth quarter but fell short as time expired.
UST head coach Manu Inigo emphasized the necessity of improving their fourth-quarter performance to maintain their Final Four aspirations. "If we want to make it to the Final Four, we need to play better," Inigo asserted, reflecting on the team's need for enhancement in the closing stages of the game.
Adamson's Artango led with 18 points and showed versatility with four rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Fran Flores added 14 points, including crucial triples, while Keefe Iledan and Noah Bautista also contributed with double-digit performances.
