Dribble Report Exclusive: A Chat with UE head coach Jack Santiago
In a remarkable upset, University of the East stunned the defending champions, De La Salle University Green Archers, by narrowly defeating them, 75-71, in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena Sunday evening, September 22.
The Red Warriors gave La Salle their first loss of the season as they delivered a scorching hot shooting of 12-of-30 from downtown witnessed by 6,946 spectators inside the arena.
In an exclusive interview with Dribble Report, UE head coach Jack Santiago shared the contributing factors that led to their team's victory.
"I think our teamwork played a very important role in our win against La Salle. Our players played unselfish basketball, and everybody showed heart, and to me that’s what led us to winning the game," Santiago said.
He also shared the adjustments and preparations they made before facing the defending champions that propelled them to their success.
"We changed match ups and as a team we agreed that we needed to have a strong start. Playing against the defending champions, we made sure that we spent extra time learning their game and made sure that we are ready come game day," shared by the winning coach.
The plan came into fruition when UE stepped on the gas early and built a 28-11 lead in the first quarter of the play.
Although the Red Warriors had a strong start, they still felt the challenge thrown by the Green Archers, led by reigning UAAP Season 86 MVP Kevin Quiambao, backed-up by his partner, Michael Philipps. However, the wards of coach Jack never wavered and found ways to overcome the obstacle, including the suffocating defense of their opponent.
Asked about the challenges, the UE mentor said: "Of course, their full court press will always be a challenge playing against La Salle. As a team, it is something that we really spent time working on at practice. We made sure to learn how to break their defense and that we do well on ours too."
The win might be a big one for the Red Warriors, and it's something that they can be proud of, but coach Santiago remained grounded, and that's what he appreciated about his team.
"What I love about this team is that they are very humble kids. I always tell them that in times of victory, they should always keep themselves grounded," Santiago complimented the attitude of his players.
Their victory also delighted the basketball enthusiasts and thought that they might go a long way this season with the stellar play they showcased on Sunday paced by the career-game of John Abante who scored 20 points while firing a perfect 3-of-3 behind the arc, grabbing four rebounds, and sinking two-crucial free throws with 3.4 seconds left to complete the upset.
But again, Coach Jack wanted to stay on the ground as it is still early to tell and there are a lot of things to work on before they can finally reach their goal of entering the final four, or even grabbing the championship ring.
"It’s too early to say but, of course, every team is looking to be in the final four. Obviously, it’s not going to be a piece of cake. We still have to work very hard to make sure that we are on the right path and are following our system to ensure that we reach our goals this season," he told Dribble Report.
Coach Jack and the UE Red Warriors might be wary of a lot of things but their huge win last weekend, which also marked their second straight victory of the season, can become the stepping stone in reaching the top of their goals and surely earned the respect of all other teams.
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It wasn’t the smoothest of starts for NLEX, which found itself down by 11 early in the game. But the tide shifted in the second quarter, where the Road Warriors erupted for a 34-12 run behind the efforts of Robert Bolick, Dominic Fajardo, Tony Semerad, and Xyrus Torres to seize a 52-36 halftime lead.
Blackwater attempted a late push, cutting the gap to 76-65 in the fourth quarter, but NLEX responded with a 12-5 counter that put the game out of reach. Semerad, who buried three triples in the payoff period, earned Finals MVP honors with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Torres topped the scoring for NLEX with 19 markers, while Bolick came close to a triple-double with eight points, six boards, and nine assists. JB Bahio and Fajardo chipped in 12 and 10 markers, respectively. As a team, the Road Warriors torched the net from beyond the arc, going 18-of-34, with Semerad and Torres sinking four each.
Sedrick Barefield paced Blackwater with 15 points, while Richard Escoto added 14. The Bossing, despite falling short in the finals, had an impressive run in the preliminaries, including a comeback win over NLEX, 95-90, earlier in the tournament.
The championship serves as a timely boost for NLEX heading into the new PBA season. Last year, the Road Warriors finished second in the Philippine Cup eliminations before bowing out in the quarterfinals against Rain or Shine. Deputy mentor Adonis Tierra called the shots in their last two games, steering the team to become the second straight PBA squad to lift the Kadayawan crown, following Rain or Shine’s sweep in 2024. NLEX closed the tournament with a 3-1 card, their lone loss coming at the hands of Blackwater.
In the battle for third place, Phoenix avoided a winless campaign with a convincing 101-81 rout of Converge. Raffy Verano led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Tyler Tio and Kai Ballungay contributed 17 and 15 markers, respectively. The win marked the first for new head coach Willy Wilson, who took over during the offseason. Coincidentally, Phoenix also defeated Converge for third place in last year’s edition of the tournament.
The NLEX Road Warriors and Blackwater Bossing opened their campaigns in the 2025 Kadayawan Invitational with victories in their respective first games on Thursday, August 21, at the USEP Gym in Davao City.
In the first game, Sedrick Barefield made an immediate impact for the Bossing. The 2024 second overall pick erupted for 28 points, including six triples. Three of those came in succession in the fourth quarter, turning a slim 72-66 lead into a more comfortable 81-68 cushion.
Troy Mallillin contributed 17 points and six rebounds, while newcomer Jed Mendoza impressed in his debut with 16 points.
For the Phoenix Fuel Masters, Jason Perkins and Kai Ballungay scored 12 points apiece in their first game under new head coach Willie Wilson, who took over from Jamike Jarin after he was moved to a team consultant role.
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All eyes in Taiwan will be on the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, which will host a blockbuster doubleheader featuring some of the region’s most decorated clubs.
The action tips off with a clash between the B.LEAGUE champions Utsunomiya Brex and the P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taipei Fubon Braves. Utsunomiya, led by veteran guard Makoto Hiejima, entered as one of Japan’s most successful franchises. The Braves, meanwhile, look to prove their resilience after falling short in a grueling seven-game finals series last season, banking on the leadership of Chinese Taipei legend Lin Chih-Chieh.
The second game of the night brings a rematch between the P. LEAGUE+ champions Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings. Their last encounter came in the 2025 EASL Final Four semifinals, where Taoyuan stunned Ryukyu, 71–64. This time, the Golden Kings are eager for redemption, while the Pilots hope to reaffirm their place among Asia’s elite.
Game schedule (HKT):
- Utsunomiya vs. Taipei Fubon – 6:30 PM
- Taoyuan vs. Ryukyu – 8:30 PM