With Game One hanging in the balance, newly-crowned Most Valuable Player Cabs Cabonilas took matters into his own hands, guiding Far Eastern University-Diliman one step closer to the storybook finish he had long envisioned.
Cabonilas starred on both ends of the court to lift the Baby Tamaraws past the National University Nazareth School Bullpups, 77-73, putting FEU-D just one win away from clinching the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament championship on Sunday afternoon at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
FEU-D held a comfortable 70-65 lead with 4:06 remaining, but NUNS stormed back. The team went on an 8-3 run highlighted by a Mot Matias triple and a go-ahead midrange jumper from Chad Cartel to take a slim 73-72 lead with 78 seconds left.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
However, Cabonilas — a 19-year-old forward from Digos City, Davao Del Sur — had the final laugh after battling cramps around the 6:33 mark of the fourth quarter.
The newly-crowned Season 88 MVP drained a go-ahead fadeaway midrange jumper at the 1:04 mark before sinking the dagger three-pointer over the outstretched arms of Kurl Figueroa to give the Baby Tamaraws a critical 77-73 cushion with 13.5 seconds remaining.
His heroics didn’t stop there.
With the Bullpups eager to cut the deficit, Cabonilas blocked a three-point attempt by Shaun Lucido — who led NUNS with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal — at the 8.8-second mark to preserve FEU-D’s lead and seal the win.
“Kanina, noong lamang yung NU, inisip ko sa sarili ko na ilalaban ko yung team ko kahit anong mangyari sa akin. Hindi ako susuko para makuha namin yung panalo,” Cabonilas said. He finished with a dominant double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds, along with three assists, two blocks, and one steal.
The victory not only allowed FEU-D to avenge its second-round loss to NUNS on February 18, but Cabonilas’ heroics also ended the Bullpups’ 10-game win streak heading into the best-of-three Finals.
With the win, FEU-D is now on the verge of claiming its 10th UAAP boys’ basketball championship — and head coach Mike Reyes’ first title in his maiden year with the program — since Season 85 in 2023.
History favors the Baby Tamaraws, as seven of the previous 10 Game 1 winners (and nine of the last 12) went on to secure the championship.
“He’s Cabs, he’s the MVP. We give the ball to Cabs because he will not force shots, and Cabs will make the right decisions. ‘Yon ang kailangan, when you have a main man, dapat he can score and he can make the right decision,” Reyes said, as FEU-D looks to finish the job when Game 2 tips off on Thursday at the same venue.
“Come Game Two, siyempre the coaches of NU have so much pride. They will go to check the field; titingnan nila ang nagkaproblema. But yung pagkaka-cramps niya, yun ang isang ano eh. That’s one of the things that we are doing as a team,” he added.
“Whatever happens, our bench plays lots of minutes. Dahil paramihan ang player. Paramihan ang player, ubusan ng lakas.”
Khean Esperanza provided ample support with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Sam Hall contributed 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, three rebounds, and one steal.
Gambian center Assan Gaye turned in his best game of Season 88 with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting, along with six rebounds and three blocks. Marc Burgos added eight points and one rebound.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Meanwhile, the Bullpups now aim to force a winner-take-all Game 3 after faltering in their third consecutive Finals appearance in Season 86 (2024), marked by back-to-back runner-up finishes.
Mot Matias had 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block, while Cartel added 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and one steal.
Ronnie Juan also scored 10 points alongside three blocks, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Corian Cabantog and Sofiane Bouzina contributed seven and five points, respectively.
The Scores:
FEU-D (77) – Cabonilas 19, Esperanza 12, Hall 12, Gaye 12, Burgos 8, Raneses 6, Cagurungan 5, Alagaban 2, Enriquez 1, Carino 0, Sohm 0, Santos 0, Dulin 0.
NUNS (73) – Lucido 19, M. Matias 16, Cartel 10, Juan 10, Cabantong 7, Bouzina 5, Diakite 4, R. Matias 2, Figueroa 0.
Quarterscores: 22-18, 38-38, 55-59, 77-73.
