Arellano erupts, tows NUNS past Adamson

Most Valuable Player (MVP) frontrunner Jesse Arellano recorded a triple-double as defending champion National University-Nazareth School overwhelmed Adamson University, 96-57, to remain unbeaten in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 boys’ 16U basketball tournament on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Arellano finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists for his first triple-double since the Bullpups’ season opener, further strengthening his MVP bid as NUNS improved to 11-0.

Already assured of a Final Four berth, the Bullpups tightened their grip on the top spot, with head coach Leo Pujante setting his sights on an elimination-round sweep and an outright berth in the Finals.

“Final goal? To sweep the eliminations so we can get straight to the finals,” Pujante said.

The Baby Falcons, meanwhile, were officially eliminated from Final Four contention after dropping to 2-9, tying the also-eliminated UPIS Junior Fighting Maroons for sixth place.

After trailing by two early in the second quarter, NUNS turned to Aaron Dalanan to spearhead a 12-2 run before taking a 49-35 lead into halftime.

The Bullpups then clamped down defensively, limiting Adamson to just seven points in the third quarter while continuing to attack the paint and draw fouls at the other end.

NUNS also found its touch from beyond the arc to build a commanding 78-42 advantage heading into the fourth before stretching the lead to as many as 49 points, 95-46.

“They’re getting better. Everybody’s getting confident, especially Dalanan. At least now they know what they’re capable of doing,” Pujante added.

Dalanan led five Bullpups in double figures with 15 points and five rebounds, while Chandler Cano chipped in 14 points.

Kobe Genido matched Arellano's 13 points, while Dwayne Enriquez added 12.

Raymond Chan paced Adamson with nine points, as no Baby Falcon managed to reach double figures. Mark Delos Santos contributed seven points and 11 rebounds.

Earlier, Far Eastern University-Diliman (FEU-D) dismantled the University of the Philippines Integrated School, 98-30, to open the quadruple-header.

The Baby Tamaraws secured a Final Four berth after improving to 9-2, temporarily moving into sole possession of second place. The defeat, meanwhile, officially eliminated the Junior Fighting Maroons, who fell to 2-9.

FEU-D completed a season sweep of UPIS after also routing the Junior Fighting Maroons, 95-51, in their first-round encounter last October.

The Baby Tamaraws established control early with a 20-9 first-quarter lead before limiting UPIS to just two points in the second period to take a commanding 36-11 advantage into halftime.

FEU-D sustained its dominance after the break, extending its lead to 62-19 heading into the fourth before completing the season's most lopsided victory with a 68-point margin.

The Baby Tamaraws also held UPIS to the lowest single-game scoring output of the season, surpassing the previous low of 34 points recorded by Ateneo de Manila University, also against FEU-D.

Fourteen of the 15 Baby Tamaraws who saw action scored, led by Barlan, who posted 17 points and 19 rebounds while shooting a perfect eight-of-eight from the field.

Zandro Lugatiman paced UPIS with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.