After losing the lead in the statistical points race — and eventually the Most Valuable Player award — to Kieffer Alas on the final day of the UAAP Season 87 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament last year, Cabs Cabonilas found redemption this season as he topped the SP race at the end of the elimination round of UAAP Season 88.
The 6-foot-4 senior forward is poised to be named the Most Valuable Player after tallying 83.286 statistical points — the highest among local student-athletes this season.
The individual awarding ceremony is scheduled on March 22 at 12 p.m. at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Cabonilas, a 19-year-old native of Digos City, averaged 15.79 points, 8.86 rebounds, 3.79 assists, 1.79 steals, and 1.5 blocks across 14 games, leading Far Eastern University-Diliman to an 11-3 record.
The Baby Tamaraws will still face the Ateneo Blue Eagles in a playoff for the second seed on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Last season, Alas edged Cabonilas, 91.429 to 90.071, to claim the top individual honor in the high school boys’ division.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Ateneo’s Nigerian big man Jude Eriobu led the overall SP race with 99.857 SPs behind averages of 21.64 points, 17.07 rebounds, 3.29 blocks, and 1.0 steals in 14 games, earning the Best Foreign Student-Athlete award.
Joining Cabonilas and Eriobu in the High School Boys’ Elite Team are De La Salle-Zobel’s Maco Dabao (71.286), University of Santo Tomas’ Kirk Canete (69.5), and Ateneo’s Jay M. Leal (66.214).
National University Nazareth School point guard Mot Matias (70.923) and Malian center Moussa Diakite (70.385) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
However, Matias was suspended during the Bullpups’ game against the UE Junior Warriors last February 25 after accumulating two unsportsmanlike fouls. Since only one foreign student-athlete is allowed on the Elite Team, Diakite was also ruled out of contention for the spot.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Dabao, a 5-foot-11 Grade 12 guard from Parañaque City, averaged 17.29 points, 5.93 rebounds, 2.21 assists, and 2.5 steals, steering the Junior Archers to an 8-6 record.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Canete, a 5-foot-10 senior guard from Malaybalay City, averaged 9.64 points, 5.21 rebounds, 7.21 assists, and 1.93 steals during the Tiger Cubs’ 5-9 campaign.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Leal, a 6-foot-7 forward from Carmona who has already committed to Ateneo for college, normed 13.64 points, 6.29 rebounds, and 3.29 assists per game.
In the girls’ division, another Junior Growling Tigress topped the MVP race, with Rhiane Perez accumulating 103.5 SPs to edge NUNS’ Zayden Rosano, who tallied 101.167.
UST’s Barby Dajao won the MVP award last season.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Perez, 17, averaged 14.17 points, 10.83 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.5 steals, and 2.17 blocks.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Meanwhile, Rosano, a 17-year-old guard from Cebu, posted averages of 14.83 points, 8.83 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 4.83 steals per game.
The Junior Tigresses and the Lady Bullpups both finished the elimination round with 5-1 records and are set to face off in a best-of-three Finals series.
NUNS’ Aubrey Lapasaran (82.667) and UST’s Indonesian center Koukou Talla (76.0) and Lea Piñuela (74.333) complete the girls’ Elite Team.
