OKEBATA'S HEROICS NOT ENOUGH AS UE SUFFERS OT SETBACK TO ADU

By: Joaquin Cortez

The Strong Group-powered UE Junior Red Warriors fell short in overtime, 83–82, against the Adamson Baby Falcons in the UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Basketball Tournament on Saturday, October 11, at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym.

The loss dropped UE to a 3–2 slate, while Adamson climbed to third place with a 4–2 record.

Adamson came out firing in the opening frame, unleashing a blistering 17–3 run capped by an Edison Jordan jumper for a 17–7 cushion.

UE, however, clawed its way back behind Sean Felizmenia’s inside shot that trimmed the deficit to five, 25–20, at the end of the quarter.

The Junior Red Warriors continued their surge in the second frame, pulling off a 13–8 rally fueled by 11 points from Zion Aguilar to tie the game at 33-all. But Adamson quickly regained control and entered halftime with a 41–36 lead.

Early in the third, James Mesa’s free throws gave UE its first taste of the lead since the opening quarter, 45–44. Still, the Baby Falcons responded with an 18–5 blast before Mark Perdigon’s jumper stopped the bleeding, cutting the gap to 62–53 entering the final period.

UE opened the fourth quarter on fire, launching an 8–0 run punctuated by another Perdigon basket to reclaim the advantage, 63–62.

With two minutes left in regulation, Mesa sank a jumper to push UE ahead, 76–73, but Adamson’s Kyle Abas completed an and-one play to knot things up at 76 and force overtime.

In the extra period, Felizmenia converted a three-point play to give the Junior Warriors an 82–80 edge. However, with 15 seconds remaining, a crucial turnover by James de los Santos allowed Jordan to score the go-ahead layup, 83–82.

UE had one last chance to steal the win, but Goodluck Okebata’s mid-range jumper at the buzzer rimmed out as Adamson escaped with the narrow victory.

Okebata led all scorers with 22 points and 21 rebounds, alongside five steals for a dominant double-double. Aguilar added 20 points and four three-pointers off the bench.

The Junior Red Warriors aim to bounce back when they face the De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers on Wednesday, October 15, at the Mall of Asia Arena.