Quezon city: National University Nazareth School clobbered De La Salle Zobel, 83-66, Sunday to secure the No. 1 seed and a twice-to-beat advantage in the UAAP Season 88 boys' basketball tournament at Blue Eagle Gym.
According to Philippines News Agency, Kurl Figueroa led the Bullpups with 14 points and rebounds, while Corian Cabantog and Rhon-j Matias contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively. This victory marked their 10th consecutive win, closing the eliminations with a 12-2 record.
NUNS coach Kevin de Castro emphasized the importance of maintaining focus during the winning streak. "We learned a lot from our 10-game winning streak because that's when we saw that we didn't need to relax. When we say winning streak, we really relax, but the kids weren't complacent," de Castro stated. He further added that working on composure and maturity is essential, focusing on internal team challenges rather than the opponents.
For De La Salle Zobel, Maco Dabao recorded 10 points, four steals, and two steals, securing the No. 4 seed with an 8-6 card.
In another match, University of the East triumphed over Adamson University, 77-73, securing the fifth spot with a 5-9 record. Drei Lorenzo spearheaded the Junior Warriors with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Mhico Abelar contributed 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists. On the other hand, Jarl Artango tallied 18 points and six assists for the Baby Falcons, who ended the season with a 4-10 record, their worst performance since a 2-12 season in 2017.
