UE SWEEPS UAAP JUNIORS BASKETBALL FIRST ROUND
University of the East wrapped up a flawless first round in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament, dismantling Adamson University, 85-63, in a wire-to-wire victory on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Junior Warriors secured a perfect 7-0 record, finishing the round with an impressive average margin of victory of 21.71 points per game. Their dominance was clear, with six of their seven wins coming by double digits. The only exception was a hard-fought 82-74 victory over the second-seeded Far Eastern University (FEU) on September 18.
Despite the convincing results, UE head coach Andrew Estrella remains focused on continuous improvement. "Marami pa kaming kailangan trabahuin (We still have a lot to work on). Throughout the first round, I saw areas where we need to get better," Estrella said. "This game wasn't our best. My boys need to understand that it’s not enough to play for 20, 30, or 10 minutes—it has to be a full 40-minute effort. We’ve learned a lot of lessons."
UE established early control against Adamson, racing to a 36-17 lead early in the second quarter. However, Adamson responded with a 19-10 run, trimming the gap to just 10 points by halftime, 46-36.
Undeterred, UE opened the third quarter on a 13-5 run, fueled by key contributions from Jolo Pascual, Enrico Bungar, and Kiefer Panganiban. This burst extended their lead to 59-41, effectively stalling any hopes of an Adamson comeback.
In the fourth quarter, Gab Delos Reyes poured in six straight points, followed by a layup from Mav Mesina, which stretched the lead to a game-high 24 points at 77-53 with 5:43 left on the clock, sealing the victory for the Junior Warriors.
"We’re grateful for the first-round sweep, but the second round will be different," Estrella emphasized. "Teams will have adjusted and scouted us. The target on our backs will only get bigger. I keep reminding the boys to stay focused and take things one game at a time, without looking too far ahead."
Bungar led the charge for UE, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals while posting a plus-18 rating in just over 21 minutes of action. Pascual contributed 13 points, four assists, and two steals, while Ethan Oraa added 13 points, three rebounds, three steals, and an assist. Delos Reyes also made an impact with 11 points, four rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.
With the first round behind them, the Junior Warriors now face a challenging second round where every opponent will be looking to knock them off their perch atop the standings.
