Manila: The University of the East (UE) defeated the University of Santo Tomas (UST) on home court Friday in the UAAP Season 89 boys' U16 basketball tournament. Jaden Roxas scored 10 of his 14 points in the first 10 minutes as the Junior Warriors secured the victory at the Lucio K. Tan Jr. Gymnasium, named in honor of former Red Warriors head coach Bong Tan.
According to Philippines News Agency, UE improved to a 2-1 record for solo third, behind unbeaten Far Eastern University (FEU) - Diliman, De La Salle - Zobel (DLSZ), and National University Nazareth School (NUNS), all sporting 2-0 slates. "This is a historic moment for our school, the first UAAP game held here. We are so honored that we were the ones to make it happen, and it is a huge achievement for the kids," said Junior Warriors head coach Paulo Hubalde, himself a former Red Warrior.
"It's fun because so many people are watching. My parents, my sibling, and my classmates are here. There's a huge crowd, and I'm glad we were able to showcase our game to them," said Jadan Sena, who chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Jadan is the son of former PBA player James Sena.
Xerone Dizon and Odrie Mallabo took charge offensively while also anchoring the defense as UE took a 92-68 advantage midway through the final frame. Dizon contributed 12 points and nine rebounds, while Mallabo also had 12 points on top of eight rebounds. Andrie Ancheta, Kurt Mercado, and Jankiel Velayo scored nine points each.
"I always tell them to pour their hearts out when they play and to always do the right thing. Although there were many cancelled games, our loss to NU was a big help. It showed us what we needed to work on, including sharpening our skillset," Hubalde said, referring to their 83-79 loss to defending champion NUNS at the FEU-Diliman Gym on Aug. 21.
Wayne Anggot finished with 11 points and six rebounds for UST, which slid to fourth at 1-2. University of the Philippines (UP) Integrated School, Ateneo de Manila University, and Adamson University are winless in two outings.
Meanwhile, the UAAP Season 89 will have its opening ceremony at the SM Mall of Arena on Saturday. Playing on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum are DLSZ against NUNS (boys' 16U) at 9 a.m.; FEU versus Adamson University (men) at 12 noon; DLSU against NU (men) at 2:30 p.m.; and UP versus UST (men) at 6 p.m.
