UST falls to 2-1

By: Miguel Marco

University of Santo Tomas fell to National University–Nazareth School, 85-63, suffering their first loss in the UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Basketball Tournament on Wednesday morning, Oct. 1, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The towering presence of 6-foot-10 Moussa Diakite, who contributed six points, eight rebounds, and four blocks, forced the Strong Group-backed Tiger Cubs to rely on perimeter shooting. This limited UST to just 22 points in the paint, compared to NUNS’ 50.

With the win, NUNS improved to 3-0 atop the standings, while UST dropped to 2-1.

The Tiger Cubs struggled to find their rhythm early, falling behind 15-10 in the opening frame as the Bullpups asserted control. NUNS’ dominance continued in the second quarter, outscoring UST 34-14, capped by a jumper from Nick Peña to extend the lead to 49-24 at halftime.

UST’s offensive woes persisted in the third quarter as NUNS widened the gap to 71-42. The Tiger Cubs made a late 10-4 push, but the Bullpups held firm to secure a decisive 22-point victory.

The Bullpups also outperformed UST on the bench, outscoring the Tiger Cubs’ reserves 53-39. Dean Tria led NUNS with 17 points, four assists, and three steals, while David Sabareza added 13 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and seven steals.

For UST, Dats Datu led the team with 16 points and five rebounds, while CJ Tabbuga contributed nine points and eight rebounds in the loss.

UST will look to bounce back against fellow Strong Group-backed squad University of the East on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 a.m., at the same venue.