By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Barby Dajao of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Junior Growling Tigresses and Kieffer Alas of the De La Salle-Zobel (DLSZ) Junior Green Archers emerged as top Filipino performers in terms of statistical points (SPs) race after the UAAP Season 87 high school basketball tournament double-round eliminations.

Dajao, a Grade 12 guard from Bacolod City, led the girls’ division with 105.5 SPs from averages of 15.17 points, 10.17 rebounds, 6.17 assists, and 4.33 steals per game while steering UST to an impressive 6-0 sweep of the elimination round.

National University Nazareth School (NUNS) Lady Bullpups’ Zaydhen Rosano is in second spot with 105.167 SPs, followed by DLSZ’s Erica de Luna (102.167 SPs), UST’s Rhiane Perez (98.25 SPs), and NUNS’ Aubrey Lapasaran (91.167 SPs).

Alas, a 6-foot-2 Grade 11 guard, emerged as the top local student-athlete in the boys’ division with 91.429 SPs from his averages of 20.07 points, 11.14 rebounds, 4.93 assists, and 1.07 steals per game over 14 outings, leading DLSZ to a 6-8 win-loss slate.

The son of former PBA head coach Louie Alas is actually second to NUNS Bullpups’ Cameroonian center Collins Akowe (105.786 SPs), but he is ineligible for the MVP award for being a foreign student athlete.

In the third spot is Far Eastern University-Diliman Baby Tamaraws’ Cabs Cabonillas (90.071 SPs), followed by UST Tiger Cubs’ Senegalese center Racine Kane (88 SPs), and Adamson Baby Falcons’ Mark Esperanza./ASC, WDJ