NUNS boys one win away from UAAP juniors title

The National University Nazareth School (NUNS) boys' team is one win away from the UAAP juniors basketball title after defeating University of Santo Tomas (UST) 77-70 in Game 1 of their best-of-three finals series.

Collins Akowe led NUNS with 24 points and 22 rebounds, supported by Mac Alfanta and Chad Cartel who each scored 14 points.

Racine Kane scored 25 points and Koji Buenaflor added 15 for UST in the boys' game.

In the girls' division, UST dominated NUNS 85-57 in Game 1, with Barby Dajao leading UST with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

Marielle Avila scored 15 points and Aubrey Lapasaran had 13 for NUNS in the girls' finals opener.

This historic finals series features NUNS and UST competing for the championship in both the boys' and girls' divisions simultaneously for the first time in league history.

NUNS last won the boys' title in Season 82 in 2020, while UST and Adamson University were declared co-champions of the inaugural girls' tournament in 2020 before it was cancelled.