UE OVERPOWERS DLSZ TO STAY UNBEATEN IN UAAP JUNIORS

The University of the East (UE) Junior Warriors continued their dominant run in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament, overpowering De La Salle-Zobel, 85-63, on Sunday at the Adamson Gym.

The Junior Warriors remained undefeated at 4-0, firmly establishing themselves as the team to beat in the newly introduced tournament, which has been recently added to the league’s regular lineup of events. Despite the impressive victory, Junior Warriors head coach Andrew Estrella emphasized the need for his team to stay grounded.

“Actually, again this is a confidence-booster for our team because Zobel is a good team. But, of course, palagi ko pinapaalala sa boys namin that we can’t be complacent,” said Estrella, who serves as the right-hand man of UE High School Basketball head coach Karl Santos. “Again, it’s one game at a time because any team in the UAAP can beat us if we’re not going to play consistently.”

UE set the tone early, with 6-foot-2 forward Gab Delos Reyes, a transferee from San Beda-Rizal, leading the charge. 

Delos Reyes scored eight of the Junior Warriors’ 30 points in the first quarter and finished the game with 14 points on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting, while also grabbing eight rebounds and blocking two shots. “Gab is a smart player. He just does his job. He just rebounds and lets the game come to him. He is a system player,” Estrella said, praising the emerging forward’s impact.

UE’s grip on the game tightened in the final quarter, where they extended their lead to as much as 27 points, 76-49, effectively securing their fourth win in as many outings.

Ethan Oraa, one of the key returnees from last season, led UE’s balanced scoring effort with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. 

Neil Garcia also made his presence felt with 13 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Filipino-Nigerian prospect Goodluck Okebata chipped in eight points and 10 rebounds to complete the Junior Warriors' dominant performance.

Defensively, UE stifled the Junior Archers, limiting them to just 31 percent shooting from the field, further highlighting the Junior Warriors’ all-around brilliance.