Despite a dominant run that saw University of the East win 14 out of its 15 games in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament, the Junior Warriors’ dream season took a massive hit when they dropped the Finals opener to the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs.
This challenge was further compounded in Game 2, where, despite the ejection of Mythical Five member Andwele Cabanero at the 6:54 mark of the first quarter, UE still trailed after a five-point spurt from Dustin Bathan and a layup from Gab Castro gave UST a comfortable 58-53 lead in the payoff period.
However, 14-year-old guard Mav Mesina refused to let the Junior Warriors’ season end in heartbreak last Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Not yet.
Not today.
Mesina atoned for his poor Game 1 performance by showcasing his clutch prowess, leading UE to a thrilling 76-70 win over UST to force a winner-take-all Game 3 for the championship, set to take place on Friday, December 20, at 10 a.m. at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
With the Tiger Cubs clinging to a slim 70-68 lead after a layup by Mythical Five member Jhon Canapi, Mesina drained six of the Junior Warriors’ last eight free throws to dash UST’s title aspirations.
Before those clutch free throws, Mesina had struggled, shooting just 5-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-13 from beyond the arc.
But even a poor shooting day could not stop the UE star from keeping their dream season alive.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Yung mga ganon na free throws, ever since bata naman tayo, siguro kapag nagbbasketball, free throw is a common shot to make. I’ve made that shot more than a thousand times na, so what’s there to be scared about?” the Malabon-raised guard shared.
What further ignited Mesina’s drive to force a decisive Game 3 was the fact that, despite UE’s top-seeded standing after the eliminations, no Junior Warrior had been included in the Mythical Five.
Much like his struggles in Game 1, this setback did not faze Mesina. He emphasized the importance of playing within their roles in the Junior Warriors’ pursuit of an elusive UAAP basketball title, one that has evaded the Recto program for 39 years.
UE last won a UAAP basketball championship in Season 48 (1985), when they defeated the then-known UST Glowing Goldies.
“Sa amin kasi sa team, hindi talaga namin iniisip yung individual awards. Lagi kami pinapaalahanan nila coach na mas maganda yung team na alam namin yung role namin and nagtthrive kami sa role na ito. Ganon lang ginagawa namin, ginagawa rin namin motivation ‘yon na we’re the no. 1 team without any individual awards,” the Claret School of Quezon City product shared.
“Ginamit ko talaga inspiration ‘yon na kada may setback, lagi nandoon ang opportunity para mag-bounce back.”
