The University of the East Junior Warriors halted Far Eastern University-Diliman’s three-game winning streak with an 83-65 victory in the UAAP Season 89 U16 basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Kurt Mercado paced UE with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal, while teammates Mark Redulfa and Xerone Dixon contributed 10 points each. Head coach Paolo Hubalde credited the team’s second-half defensive adjustments and disciplined execution of their game plan for securing the win, which brought UE to a 3-1 record alongside FEU-Diliman in second place.
In other U16 matchups, the University of Santo Tomas pulled off a 90-78 win over Ateneo de Manila University to improve to 2-2, while the University of the Philippines Integrated School secured its first win by defeating Adamson University, 76-71. Following the results, UPIS moved to 1-2, Adamson dropped to 1-3, and Ateneo remained winless after four games.