Ethan Aguas delivers in clutch as UE snaps skid with win over DLSZ

ETHAN Aguas delivered in the clutch, leading University of the East to a 56-51 victory over De La Salle Zobel and snapping a three-game skid in the UAAP Season 87 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Aguas, a 17-year-old, 6-foot-4 forward from Tarlac and a standout from UE’s inaugural 16-and-under team last year, took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of his 16 points to go along with seven rebounds. His heroics helped the Junior Warriors close out a tough first round on a high note.

After suffering a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to FEU-D and a narrow one-point defeat to NUNS, UE salvaged a 3-4 record, tying DLSZ for fifth place at the end of the first round.

“Happy for the win, finally naputol na namin yung losing streak. We’ll take it, a win is a win, masaya na kami doon. We need this win for the second round. If we really want to make it to the Final Four, I think we have to start now,” said second-year Junior Warriors head coach Karl Santos.

Trailing 36-37 at the end of the third quarter, Aguas spearheaded a 16-5 UE run to establish a 52-42 cushion with 3:25 remaining.

DLSZ, however, refused to back down. The trio of Maco Dabao, Kieffer Alas, and Bonn Daja trimmed the deficit to 52-48 with 1:49 left, but Aguas sealed the win with three crucial free throws, giving UE a comfortable 55-48 lead.

Lance Sabroso contributed 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Edry Alejandro added seven points, five rebounds, and two steals in the much-needed win for UE.

The Junior Archers, on the other hand, suffered their third straight defeat, dropping to 3-4 and sharing fifth place with UE.