THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines continued its winning momentum after handing Ateneo de Manila University its first defeat of the season, 83-69, in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament held Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Francis Nnoruka powered the Fighting Maroons with a career-high 28 points, along with nine rebounds and four steals, steering UP to its third consecutive victory. The win lifted the Diliman squad to a 3-2 record, placing them at fourth in the team standings.

Despite the setback, the Blue Eagles remained tied for the top spot with the National University Bulldogs, both holding identical 4-1 slates.

Noy Remogat contributed 20 points, eight assists, and six rebounds for UP, which broke away decisively in the third quarter with a dominant 24-11 run. Harold Alarcon also delivered a solid performance with 17 points, five assists, and four rebounds.

For Ateneo, Shawn Tuano and Kymani Ladi led the scoring with 17 and 15 points, respectively, but their efforts fell short as UP’s balanced offense and tight defense proved too much to handle.