NATIONAL University Nazareth School  and University of Santo Tomas kept their flawless starts in the UAAP Season 88 juniors basketball tournament after dispatching their respective opponents at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.

The Bullpups leaned on the duo of Moussa Diakite and Mark Arzola, who poured in 17 points apiece, to notch a 78-66 victory over the Far Eastern University-Diliman (FEU-D) Baby Tamaraws.

Diakite, a 6-foot-10 recruit from Mali, dominated the paint with 14 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Arzola added 10 boards and three steals as NU carried a 42-31 lead into halftime.

FEU fought back in the third quarter behind Prince Cariño, Prince Pineda, and Dwyne Enriquez, trimming the deficit to 44-45 with 5:43 left. But the Bullpups responded with a balanced attack from Clark Khobuntin, David Sabareza, Jehove Gatumbato, Ean Tria, Diakite, and Arzola to restore control and seal the win.

Cariño led FEU-D with 15 points, while Pineda tallied a near double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds alongside seven steals. Enriquez chipped in 14 points and seven assists.

“We had to adjust our defense because FEU figured out what we were running in the first half. At halftime, they came back with counters, so we made changes to recover,” said NU coach Leo Pujante.

Tria also shone with 14 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while Khobuntin contributed six points and 12 boards.

In the day’s other game, CJ Tabbuga powered UST with 25 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks to steer the Tiger Cubs to a 91-70 win over De La Salle-Zobel (DLSZ).

Miguel Jubilado added 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Chan Guinto and Dave Regala chipped in 16 and 12 points, respectively.

After a tight first half, UST fell behind 53-56 midway through the third period. Guinto, however, sparked a decisive 16-7 run that gave the Tiger Cubs a 72-60 cushion heading into the fourth quarter.

For DLSZ, Lorenzo Purugganan delivered 25 points and four assists, while Jullian Pangan recorded a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds.

With the wins, NUNS and UST joined Adamson University at the top of the standings with identical 2-0 cards. UE and FEU-D sit at 1-1, while DLSZ, Ateneo de Manila, and University of the Philippines Integrated School remain winless at 0-2.