National University Nazareth School (NUNS) dominated University of Santo Tomas (UST), 85-63, on Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion to stay unbeaten in the UAAP Season 88 boys’ basketball tournament.
Dean Tria led the Bullpups with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, plus four assists, three steals, two rebounds, and a block. He got solid support from David Sabareza (13 points, seven assists, seven steals, six rebounds), Nick Peña (11 points, four rebounds), and Jaypee Yanga (10 points, six rebounds). NUNS built a commanding 49-24 halftime lead and never looked back.
“This is a big boost to the morale of the kids because those are the contenders. We’ve already beaten the three contenders—UE, FEU, then UST. We just have to keep our feet on the ground,” said NUNS head coach Leo Pujante.
The Bullpups pulled away to a 79-42 lead entering the final quarter. Ian Manalo and Jehove Gatumbato chipped in seven points each, while Malian big man Moussa Diakite contributed six points, eight rebounds, and four blocks.
For the Tiger Cubs, Dats Datu finished with 16 points and five rebounds, while CJ Tabbuga added nine points, eight boards, and three blocks. With the loss, UST fell to 2-1, joining UE and FEU in second place.
In the other game, FEU-D bounced back with an 80-65 win over De La Salle Zobel (DLSZ). Prince Cariño posted monster numbers with 23 points and 19 rebounds, while Dwyne Enriquez tallied 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Prince Pineda also shone with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“I told the players to move forward and forget about NUNS and learn how we lost the game. I told them to focus on the next game and be a man—not a boy—because we are heading into the next level,” said FEU-D coach Muriel Garcia.
Lorenzo Purugganan paced DLSZ with 21 points, but the Junior Archers remained winless at 0-3, alongside UPIS and Ateneo.
