Living up to its name, Team Heart overcame the absence of its captain for a 95-94 comeback victory vs. fully-loaded Team Hustle in the 2025 NBTC Foot Locker All-Star Game on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Adamson playmaker Mark Esperanza set up EAC gunner Ian Cuajao for an open corner three that proved to be the difference in the annual showcase of the best of the best under-19 Filipino players.
Team Hustle still had 1.1 seconds to make something happen, but Migs Palanca (NU-Nazareth School) could not convert Joaqui Ludovice’s (UST) inbound lob to seal the deal for a Team Heart side that played sans skipper Lebron Jhames Daep.
Daep and Perpetual teammate Jan Roluna begged off from the All-Star Game at the last minute, as the Jr. Altas were preparing for their NCAA Season 100 Final Four matchup on Monday. Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu’s Jelomar Rota was also unable to make it.
With that, coach Josh Reyes rotated just 11 players, and still, his wards took it to their opponents led by Kieffer Alas, the NBTC’s No. 1 under-19 Filipino player in 2025.
Cuajao totaled 15 points and five boards, while Fil-Am Nation Select-USA’s Angelino Mark was one-rebound away from a double-double outing with 21 markers and nine rebounds.
Koji Buenaflor, UST’s versatile wing, also shone bright with 16 points and nine rebounds of his own for Team Heart, who avenged its loss to Team Hustle a year ago in the grassroots program also sponsored by MNL Kingpin, Molten, Pocari Sweat, Burlington, Swish, and Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things.
Alas from De La Salle Zobel delivered 18 points for his squad coached by NCAA and UAAP champion coach Manu Inigo, as Ludovice provided 21 markers and five boards.
In the Foot Locker All-Star side events, Fil-Am Nation Select’s Andrew Miller won the Dunk Contest, while Team Visayas’ Clyver Klir Balucan, Fitz John Cary Gonzales, John Loyd Martinez, and Jake Lordwin Yong lorded over the Shooting Stars event.
Crowned as the newest Three-Point Shootout King was FEU-D’s Liam Salangsang, as Joey Panghulan from Top Flight Hoops-Canada clinched the top spot in the Skills Challenge.
