Quezon city: Far Eastern University-Diliman and Ateneo de Manila University secured their spots in the semi-finals of the UAAP Season 88 boys' basketball tournament with hard-fought victories at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym.

According to Philippines News Agency, MVP frontrunner Cabs Cabonilas played a pivotal role for the Baby Tamaraws, scoring 13 points and contributing nine rebounds, two steals, two assists, and one block. This performance helped FEU-D dominate the University of the Philippines Integrated School Fighting Maroons, marking their ninth consecutive season reaching the Final Four. Jastien Dagcutan and JB Cagurungan each added 12 points, while Luke Santos and Marc Burgos scored 10 points each for FEU-D, improving their record to 10-2.

FEU-D head coach Mike Reyes expressed his excitement, saying, "That's the goal of every team in the UAAP. We're all really excited because of how we played today. I don't really look at the winning margin, but the intensity on defense, rising higher and higher, even if we had a good lead. We kept the intensity the whole game." Reyes emphasized the importance of securing a twice-to-beat advantage, stating, "For us, to secure a twice-to-beat advantage, we have to take care of UE and Ateneo. That will be our motivation and new goal to stay in our position and ultimately, get that twice-to-beat."

Kean Poquiz led the efforts for the winless Fighting Maroons with 17 points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals, while Zandro Lugatiman and Jhustin Hallare added 14 and 11 points respectively.

Meanwhile, Ateneo relied on standout performances from Noah Banal and Nigerian center Jude Eriobu to overcome defending champion University of Santo Tomas with a 90-83 victory. Banal scored an impressive 28 points, while Eriobu contributed 23 points, 17 rebounds, and six blocks, helping Ateneo return to the Final Four for the first time since Season 82 in 2020.

Ateneo head coach Bacon Austria expressed his satisfaction, stating, "I am happy for the program more than anything else. I went back coaching because of the program, more than myself or whoever. Our work does not stop here because we still have a chance to get the twice-to-beat incentive. I think that's our second goal." He added, "It means a lot for me and for the program because right before the pandemic, the program was in the Final Four. The pandemic hit, and we were in a slump, in seventh place for the past few years. It's a good boost for us [and] it's possible because of the support of the school."

With the Blue Eagles leading 88-83 and only 22.7 seconds remaining, the Tiger Cubs attempted to rally behind JC Canapi and Jetlee Melano, who both missed crucial three-point attempts. Melano led the Tiger Cubs with 23 points and seven rebounds, followed by Simon Pulongbarit with 18 points and four rebounds. Canapi and Wacky Ludovice each scored 14 points.