It’s college basketball season once again, and with both the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in full swing, we list down some of the highlights that made this week a thing to remember.

1. Ateneo stays undefeated 4-0

It’s just as they say, “when arrows fly, eagles soar higher,” and that’s what the Ateneo De Manila University Blue Eagles did in their game against long-time rival De La Salle Green Archers. The Katipunan-based team had control for most of the game until a 22-0 late-game scare by the Taft-based team. Luckily, Shawn Tuaño had enough answers to ward off the Archers, securing the win with a score of 81-74.

2. UP breaks the QPav curse

For a while, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons seemed to have struggled to win at the Quadricentennial Pavilion at the University of Santo Tomas. However, the losing streak at the QPav has now ended with a win against the NU Bulldogs, as the team employed an effective defense against the Sampaloc-based team, forcing them to miss 23 out of 29 attempts in the second half, which sealed the game 66-59.

3. NU establishes a strong start

Before their loss to the UP Fighting Maroons, the NU Bulldogs were on a win streak. Its recent victory came at the expense of the UST Growling Tigers, in which they were down a point, 66-67, then mounted a run ending with a dagger three from Jake Figueroa, finishing 76-69.

4. Mapua prevails in 2OT opening day win

The Cardinals made sure everyone got their ticket’s worth in the first game of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 101 with a double-overtime duel against their Intramuros neighbors, the Lyceum of the Philippines University. The game was a seesaw affair, with both teams trading shots and exchanging leads for the duration of the game, but as much as it was action-packed, it all came down to a Cyrus Cuenco free throw that decided the game, 90-89.

5. JRU upsets Letran to start NCAA campaign

Newly minted Jose Rizal University head coach Nani Epondulan’s debut game in the NCAA was all he wanted: seeing his players running his system well and another, beating a powerhouse team. He just did both of that, beating the Letran Knights 73-69 at the back of a promising young core ready to take on the league’s best competition.

6. San Beda unleashes Miller in rivalry game

A San Beda-Letran game is always anticipated in the NCAA, as it always brings the best out of both teams. This game was no different, as it was a nip-and-tuck affair for most of the game until Janti Miller put the game away with timely shots, punctuated with a dunk in the dying seconds of the game, ending with 68-58 to mark the first rivalry game.

7. Games to watch out for:

Ateneo vs. UP (UAAP), Oct. 8th

The Battle of Katipunan is upon us once again, and this time, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are set to defend their undefeated record against the UP Fighting Maroons, who are seeking to regain footing in the top spots of the standings after starting 0-2. Would the men in blue and white keep their slate clean, or will the Goldwyn Monteverde-led team have the answers to stop the league-leading Eagles?

CSB vs. Letran (NCAA), Oct. 8th

Fans and pundits alike have placed these two teams in their Final Four predictions, yet both have suffered losses in their first games of the NCAA Season 101. De La Salle-College of St. Benilde Blazers is seeking to improve their 1-1 standing, while the Letran Knights will try to avoid a 0-3 start in their campaign.

8. Stand-out players of the week:

Kymani Ladi (UAAP)

The one-and-done Filipino-American player Kymani Ladi continues to become a force in the UAAP for the Blue Eagles. And in their rivalry game with the Green Archers, he scored big in the second half, helping to extend the lead to 33, the biggest in the game. Earlier in the season, he has proved himself to be a reliable shooter, and whether he is inside or outside, you know he can take that shot.

Janti Miller (NCAA)

Highly-touted rookie Janti Miller proved to be good as advertised, as he helped San Beda get a roaring 2-0 start in its NCAA campaign. While he has shown what he can do in his debut game against the CSB Blazers, it wasn’t until the Letran game that he took the league on notice and will probably have a target on his back moving forward.

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