The University of the East men's and women's teams emerged victorious in the past week at the UAAP Season 87 basketball tournament, thanks to John Abate and Jearzy Ganade.
For their standout performances, Abate and Ganade earned the nod as the Collegiate Press Corps Players of the Week, backed by Discovery Suites and World Balance.
Abate led the charge for UE in the men's side, with the Fil-Am guard averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in the Red Warriors victories over the Far Eastern University Tamaraws last Wednesday and the De La Salle Green Archers last Sunday.
The 24-year-old scored two points only against FEU but bounced back with a career-high 20-point performance including the win-sealing free throws as UE improved to 2-2 and dealt La Salle its first loss in four games.
Abate edged out teammate Wello Lingolingo, UP's Quentin Millora-Brown, UST's Mo Tounkara and Forthsky Padrigao, and Ateneo's Kristian Porter for the weekly citation.
The 6-foot-1 Abate said that the back-to-back wins the Warriors gained is certainly a confidence booster.
'We have a system and a foundation that we built upon for these last two wins so coming off of that, we have the confidence now and we know that we can believe in ourselves individually and together so going off of that, it just comes down to execution,' Abate said.
In the women's side, Ganade collected 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists as the Lady Warriors topped the Lady Archers, 65-47, gaining their first win in five years and one day last Sunday or since September 21, 2019.
For the week, the 24-year-old Ganade averaged 8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 2.5 steals as she bested Adamson's Kazel Mazo, NU's Jainaba Konateh, NU's Angel Surada, and UP's Achrissa Maw for the weekly award given by the scribes covering the beat.
'When I returned [for this playing year], I just wanted to help my coaches and my teammates. I wanted to get a win and here it is. It feels so good. All the exhaustion has withered away,' said Ganade, whose UE rose to 1-3 this season.
In the NCAA men's basketball, meanwhile, Colegio de San Juan de Letran's Pao Javillonar put up 17.33 points and 6.0 rebounds to bag the Player of the Week award.
Javilonar and the Knights elevated to 3-2.