NU Outlasts San Beda to Win Inaugural U-Belt Basketball Cup Title
The NU Bulldogs are the first-ever kings of the University Belt Basketball Cup.
In a high-stakes, knockout finals showdown, NU held off a furious San Beda rally to clinch the championship with a hard-fought 81–77 win. What looked like a runaway victory turned into a pressure-packed finish, as the Red Lions erased nearly all of a 20-point deficit in the final four minutes before NU made the clutch stops that sealed the win.
Forward Jake Figueroa powered the Bulldogs with a double-double performance — 13 points and 10 rebounds — to earn Best Player of the Game honors. He got plenty of help from teammates Reinhard Jumamoy and Jolo Manansala, who also dropped 13 points apiece, while PJ Pacielo and Steve Nash Enriquez chipped in a combined 23 to complete the team effort.
READ: NU Bulldogs’ Reinhard Jumamoy is Ready for a New Role
San Beda’s comeback was spearheaded by Nygel Gonzales, who led all scorers with 15 points. Veteran forward Yukien Andrada stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, doing everything he could to keep the Red Lions in the fight until the final horn.
The road to the finals was anything but easy for either side. NU took care of Adamson in the semis, while San Beda pulled off back-to-back upsets against the tournament-favorite UST Growling Tigers. Adamson salvaged third place thanks to a dramatic buzzer-beater from Royce Mantua, who downed UST in the battle-for-third thriller.
Individual Honors
Despite UST falling short of the title, their rising star Peter Osang emerged as the biggest individual standout of the tournament. The 6-foot-6 big man earned both Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player honors, thanks to averages of 10.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks over 10 games.
Joining him on the All-Tournament Team were:
- Peter Osang (UST) – 10.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 1.5 BPG
- Yukien Andrada (San Beda) – 11.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.0 APG
- Mark Llemit (UST) – 9.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.9 APG
- AJ Fransman (Adamson) – 14.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.0 APG
- TMC Ongotan (Arellano) – 12.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.3 SPG
A New Legacy Begins
With the University Belt Basketball Cup aiming to become a premier off-season showcase for Metro Manila’s top collegiate teams, NU’s gritty title run sets the standard for future editions. They not only brought home the league’s first trophy but also made a statement: the Bulldogs are built for big moments — and they’re just getting started.
