NU blasts Adamson to claim second seed in UAAP juniors hoops

MANILA, Philippines — Defending champion National University pounded Adamson, 72-45, to claim the No. 2 spot in the UAAP Season 77 juniors basketball tournament Tuesday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Mark Dyke, who finished second to Ateneo’s Mike Nieto in the MVP race, posted game-highs to steer the Bullpups in the playoff match. He had 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 26 rebounds.

Dyke set the tone for NU with 15 points and 16 rebounds in the first half alone where his team took a 41-21 lead.

The Bullpups, who also gained a twice-to-beat edge in the stepladde phase, were never threatened and led by as much as 32.

The Baby Falcons, who settled for the third seed and will face No. 4 De La Salle on Thursday, shot just 26% from the field and 30% at the free throw line – missing 11 out of their 30 attempts.

Adamson also got manhandled in the rebounding department, 69-29. NU had 24 turnovers, 11 more than Adamson, but the Bullpups still got 24 points off of the Baby Falcons’ 13 miscues.

Miguel Sasuman and James Pasturan paced Adamson with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

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