THE Ateneo Blue Eaglets and the National University Bullpups stayed on the winning track last Wednesday, posting big wins over separate foes in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines junior basketball tournament at the Arena in San Juan.
The trio of Enrico Manuel, SJ Belangel and Jason Credo led a strong start that saw the Blue Eaglets finishing with a 97-47 swamping of the University of the East Junior Warriors.
This allowed the Blue Eaglets and the Bullpups to remain in the lead with their fourth straight triumphs.
Manuel fired a game-high 15 points and had eight rebounds for the Blue Eaglets, who moved away in the first period on a 16-2 run.
Belangel shot 13 points, with six points in the first 10 minutes of play that allowed Ateneo to earn a 14-point cushion.
Credo also had 13, with his back-to-back triple in the last 5:10 of the opening quarter capping their initial salvo, which later helped Ateneo take a 24-10 spread at the end of the period.
The Blue Eaglets, outrebounding the Junior Warriors, 20-11, in the second period behind Geoff Chiu and Sean Ildefonso, held UE to nine points before posting a 46-19 halftime advantage.
Meanwhile, the Bullpups, led by Terrence Fortea, capitalized on three turnovers to pull off a 92-82 triumph over the Adamson Baby Falcons.
Fortea knocked in 26 points for the Bullpups, while Rhyann Amsali and Michael Malonzo shot had 14 and 13 points.
A triple from Fortea with 46 ticks left handed NU an 89-82 lead in the closing minute.