In a heated Most Valuable Player race, it was David who almost pulled off a giant slay — but Goliath prevailed.
University of the East’s Goodluck Okebata successfully held off University of Santo Tomas’ pint-sized guard Rowie Cabanero to claim the UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Boys’ Basketball MVP.
Okebata, 15, finished the elimination round with 96.214 statistical points, thanks to his averages of 19.71 points, 13.43 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.29 steals, and 2.5 blocks across 14 games.
He also guided the Junior Warriors to an 8-6 record, just one win shy of earning a spot in the stepladder semifinals.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Cabanero, a 5-foot-6 guard from Mahaplag, Leyte, made a late push on the final day of the eliminations. He recorded a 17-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in UST’s 108-70 victory over Far Eastern University-Diliman.
Despite the heroics, he finished with 95.643 statistical points, averaging 12.93 points, 9.93 assists, 6.57 rebounds, and 2.43 steals per game.
Rounding out the Elite Team are Dwyne Enriquez (89.286) of FEU-D, Moussa Diakite (85.143) of National University-Nazareth School, and Prince Carino (84.769) of FEU-D.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Notably, Diakite becomes the first-ever FSA to make the Elite Team.
