NUNS routs DLSZ in UAAP HS boys basketball, wins by 94 vs. Ateneo in girls basketball's return

National University Nazareth School notched big wins in the UAAP high school basketball tournament Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The boys' team defeated De La Salle Santiago Zobel, 91-69, to cop its second win in the tourney, with reigning MVP Collins Akowe posting 21 points, 21 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

“Great win para sa amin, pero syempre hindi naman doon natatapos yung season. Tapos ang next game pa namin medyo challenge, FEU-D. Coming into this game, kunin natin itong first two games, para pagdating ng third game against FEU, maganda yung bwelo natin,” said Bullpups head coach Kevin de Castro.

[It's a great win for us but of course, the season doesn't end here. Our next game will be a bit of a challenge, FEU-D. Coming into this game, we wanted to get the first two games so when we reach the third game against FEU, we have a good head start.]

In the other boys' games, Adamson beat UE, 75-66, and FEU won against Ateneo, 82-72.

UST, meanwhile, registered the biggest winning margin in the post-pandemic UAAP HS basketball era with a 98-45 win against UPIS.

NU's girls' team, meanwhile, drubbed Ateneo de Manila University, 109-15, as the UAAP high school girls basketball tournament returned Thursday after a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aubrey Lapasaran and Zaydhen Rosano had 20 points apiece to lead the Lady Bullpups.

NU scored 40 while giving up only two points in the first period, and followed it with a 26-6 performance in the second quarter to close the first half with a 66-8 lead. Ateneo was held scoreless in the third period, and seven in the fourth, while NU had a 43-point output in the second half.

“Natutuwa kami sa panalo dahil first-ever UAAP game namin ito,” said Lady Bullpups head coach Camilla Escoto. “Pero yung sa margin, hindi na kasi namin tinitignan 'yung score. Gusto lang namin mag-perform and ma-represent nang maayos 'yung school on a big stage.”

[We're happy about this win because this is our first-ever UAAP game. But with the margin, we didn't really look at the score. We just wanted to perform and represent our school well on a big stage.]

This became the biggest winning margin in the girls basketball tournament as Ateneo previously suffered a 112-27 loss against University of Santo Tomas last January 25, 2020.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA Integrated News