Katipunan-based schools Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines won their respective matches in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, September 28.

The Blue Eagles are now off to a perfect 3-0 start, their best record since Season 84, after defeating the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, 77-58.

The Blue Eagles were leading by a slim margin at the end of the third quarter, 51-48, before unleashing a 17-1 run in the last quarter to provide a breather, 68-49. In the end, the lead was too much for the Soaring Falcons as they tallied their second loss.

“I think in the second half we hit on all cylinders. Our shooting improved from 37% in the first half to 49% in the second, so we must have shot at an extremely high percentage. We were more patient, executed better, and the guys knocked down their shots,” said Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin.

Divine Adili led the Blue Eagles with 16 points and six rebounds, while Jadem Lazo contributed 15 points in an impressive 75% field goal efficiency. Kymani Ladi added 14 points and five rebounds, while Ian Espinosa finished the game with 10 points.

For the Soaring Falcons, John Erolon was the lone bright spot of the team with 23 points. Ray Torres, Cedrick Manzano, and Mudiaga Ojarikre combined for 19 points.

Earlier that day, the defending champions, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, finally secured their first win of the season after defeating the University of the East Red Warriors, 75-92.

Former Red Warrior Rey Remogat exploded with a double-double performance of 21 points and 11 assists, alongside seven rebounds. He scored 17 points in the first half to provide a breather for the Fighting Maroons coming into the half, 53-36.

In the second half of the game, the Fighting Maroons continued their momentum, building a game-high 28-point lead, 85-57, late in the fourth quarter.

“For me, of course, ‘yung mga ganitong panalo would always feel positive, especially if it’s our first win. For me, more than the win, it’s how we played this game today. It’s understanding that we need each other to achieve something big,” said Fighting Maroons head coach Goldwin Monteverde.

Francis Nnoruka and Jalen Stevens both finished with an identical double-double performance of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Gerry Abadiano contributed 11 points.

For the Red Warriors, Precious Momowei also had a double-double performance of 18 points, 10 points, and five assists, even though he committed a game-high seven turnovers. Welo Lingolingo contributed 18 points and six rebounds, while John Abate finished the game with 15 points, six assists, and four steals. Jhon Jimenez added 10 points.

Here are other things you might have missed in the September 28 games of UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

16, 6

For the first time this season, Divine Adili led the team in scoring with 16 points alongside six rebounds. However, he quickly dismissed the fact that he and one-and-done player Kymani Ladi were usually on top of the scoring list.

“I would say it’s smooth. However, there’s always room for growth. You can never be perfect. There’s always room for improvement, not just for me but to the entire team,” he was quoted as saying to Tiebreaker Times.

“I’ll just keep preparing, practicing, and improving on my game in whichever way I can, both individually and collectively as a team. I’ll just keep preparing.”

15, 3

After scoring limited points in their first two games, Jadem Lazo finished second on the scoreboard with 15 points at an impressive 75% efficiency, finishing the game with a plus-24 in 20 minutes on the floor.

“Up until the last game, shooting totals were frustrating, but all I care about is the final score and the win. All credit goes to my teammates for finding me, and I thank God for hitting those shots,” he said after the game.

In the Blue Eagles’ first two games, Lazo, Adili, and Ian Espinosa only combined for 20 points. In their win against Adamson, the trio combined for 41 big points.

21, 11, 7

Former Red Warrior Rey Remogat was all over the stat sheet after finishing the game with 21 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, and two steals as he defeated his old alma mater.

After the game, Remogat cleared that it wasn’t intentional that he had his best game of the season against his former school. He said, “Wala naman gigil kasi ‘yun nga, galing kami sa dalawang beses na pagkatalo. ‘Yung gigil kasi, pwede mangyari na panget or maganda. Siguro, mas nag-focus lang ako sa dapat ko gawin as a point guard and hindi ko ginawang basis ‘yung UE para maging maganda ‘yung laro ko.”

Dubbed as the successor of Season 87 MVP JD Cagulangan, Remogat admitted that he had doubted himself before the game, especially after coming from back-to-back losses.

“Nag-start sa mental, kasi alam ko naman kahit hindi ako nagbabasa sa social media, siyempre ‘yung feeling ko na pangit laro ko, expectation ng ibang tao pangit ‘yung sasabihin, e. Nilalagay ko sa utak ko na hindi ko kailangan i-please ‘yung ibang tao. Kailangan kong gawin kung anong makakatulong sa team. And every time na bad game ako, unang-una nagpi-prepare ako and nag-e-extra talaga ako before and after ng game, lalo na ‘pag bad game ako.”