The Sacred Heart Ateneo Alumni Basketball Athletic Association (SHAABAA) launched its 29th season on May 3 at the Magis Eagles Gym in Mandaue City. The event featured ten games, combining impressive victories with competitive contests.
Leading the charge were Batch 2018-Core+, the defending champions of Division C, who secured a 75-68 win against Batch 2025-CHEK Technologies. Former NU Bulldog Patrick Wilson Yu was a standout, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Franz Ray Diaz contributed 17 points while Juan Miguel Dela Torre added 12 points to help their team start the season strong. For Batch 2025, Ian Landao was the top scorer with 15 points.
Defending Champions Stumble
In a stark contrast, Batch 2012-Harley Davidson, the defending champions of Division B, faced a challenging opener, losing 60-86 to Batch 2004-'O4 The Win. Franco Te was instrumental in the victory, scoring 22 points and pulling down seven rebounds.
Ervin Lopena also made his presence felt with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Kyle Valmoria achieved a rare triple-double with 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Returning teams like Batch 2001-ARQ Builders and Batch 2003-Cebu Landmasters also showcased strong performances.
Batch 2001, the season's host, narrowly defeated Batch 2000-Core Pacific, 54-47, with Mark Hing leading the way with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Batch 2003 dominated Batch 2000-2kCares.org with a commanding 100-40 victory, highlighted by Wilmer Rodney Ong's double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.
More Exciting Matchups
Batch 1996-Big Three Pizza secured an 86-56 win over Batch 2002, led by Tonyson Lee with 13 points. Despite the loss, Edmund Gaisano stood out for Batch 2002, scoring a game-high 22 points.
In another Division B matchup, Batch 2013-Nest Workspaces made a strong entrance, edging Batch 2008, 87-83, with Rendell Senining scoring an impressive 32 points.
Batch 2010-Hatch IT Solutions also made headlines by defeating last season's runners-up, Batch 2005-Insular Square, 83-47, thanks to Jasper Diaz's 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Division C Highlights
In Division C, Batch 2015-BRX cruised to an 88-60 victory over Batch 2022-Comforser Tires, with Janjan Jaboneta leading all scorers with 35 points and 22 rebounds.
Other notable winners included Batch 2014, who narrowly defeated Batch 2021-FADI, 59-54, and Batch 2024-730 Autoworks, who topped Batch 2026-Rufrance LPG, 83-65.