Bullpups seal UAAP junior title showdown with Eaglets

MANILA, Philippines - Justine Baltazar dished out a double-double job as defending champion National University eliminated La Salle-Zobel, 61-45, yesterday to forge a championship rematch with Ateneo in the UAAP Season 77 juniors basketball stepladder semifinals at the Blue Eagle Gym.       

But the Bullpups will need to beat the Blue Eagles thrice to complete their back-to-back title drive. Ateneo advanced to the finals outright after sweeping all its 14 matches in the double-round eliminations.       

The finals starts on Friday at The Arena in San Juan.       

The 6-foot-6 Baltazar rattled off 11 straight points in the first seven minutes of the contest and went on to finish with 13 points and 11 rebounds. John Clemente backed him up with 14 points while forward Mark Dyke scored nine points and pulled down a game-high 13 boards.       

NU had earlier won the men’s and women’s basketball championships and is eyeing to be the first school since University of Santo Tomas in the mid-90s to win the triple crown in the league’s centerpiece sport.       

Despite the Eaglets’ huge advantage, NU coach Jeff Napa, a former King Bulldog, remains unfazed.       

Aljun Melecio had 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Joaquin Banzon added 14 points and six boards for the Junior Archers.       

Despite having a young roster, La Salle-Zobel overachieved, finishing ahead of much-heralded teams Adamson University and Far Eastern University-Diliman.