Prince Cariño, returning to action after missing the previous game, immediately made up for lost time, leading Far Eastern University-Diliman to a hard-fought 72–68 victory over the University of the East.
The win allowed FEU-D to claim a share of second place at the end of the first round of the UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Basketball Tournament on Sunday morning at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
After sitting out the Baby Tamaraws’ loss to the UST Tiger Cubs last Wednesday due to illness, Cariño joined forces with Prince Pineda in the clutch. The two helped FEU-D overcome the Junior Warriors, finishing the first round tied for second place with UST — both teams holding identical 5–2 win-loss records.
“Nagpapasalamat ako dahil nakaka-recover na sila. Most of the players are sick and ngayon lang sila nakapag-practice,” Baby Tamaraws head coach Muriel Garcia said.
“Kaya yung preparations namin for UE, sobrang iksi kasi hindi namin sila pwede pag-practice kasi under recovery pa. Kaya para sa akin, satisfied ako sa panalo namin ngayon.”
In a back-and-forth battle to open the payoff period, both teams stayed within striking distance. Mark Perdigon and Zion Aguilar then drained back-to-back triples to give UE a narrow 66–62 lead with 3:06 remaining.
Eager to regain control, FEU-D responded with a decisive 8–0 run — highlighted by a midrange jumper from Cariño and a three-pointer plus an and-one layup by Pineda — establishing a four-point, 70–66 lead with 2:05 left on the clock.
Despite committing a 24-second shot clock violation and a turnover by Okebata, the Junior Warriors stayed alive after their Fil-Nigerian forward converted free throws. However, a missed three-pointer by Aguilar, an errant pass from Perdigon, and ice-cold free throws from Cariño ultimately sealed the Baby Tamaraws’ comeback victory.
Cariño finished with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, 11 rebounds, three blocks, and one assist. Dwyne Enriquez also posted 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Pineda added 14 points, five rebounds, and four steals, while Hisham Mampao contributed eight points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For UE, Okebata tallied 19 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and three steals, while Perdigon registered 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and one block. The Junior Warriors closed the first round at 4–3, sharing fourth place with Adamson University.
In the earlier game, the University of the Philippines Integrated School claimed its first-ever victory in the division with a thrilling 70–59 win over De La Salle Zobel.
The triumph ended a 20-game losing streak dating back to Season 87.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Winless through 14 games in Season 87 and struggling through a six-game slump to start Season 88, UPIS ended its drought in dominant fashion.
Second-year guard Kean Poquiz led the charge, exploding for 36 points on 13-of-20 shooting, along with nine rebounds, seven steals, and six assists.
It was the second-highest single-game scoring performance in the tournament’s history since UST’s Jhon Canapi scored 38 points in an 82–65 win over Adamson on November 20, 2024, during Season 87.
Poquiz’s performance not only snapped the Fighting Maroons’ 20-game skid but also delivered head coach King Vergeire his second UAAP victory across the 19-under and 16-under divisions since taking over from former mentor Paolo Mendoza in Season 86.
His first win came in a comeback victory over UE on January 14, 2024, in the 19-under division.
“It’s very fulfilling with all the adversities and with everything that happened. I am just really thankful na we still pushed through as a team. All credit lang sa Lord and all credit sa coaching staff at lalo sa mga bata deserve nila ito,” Vergeire, son of decorated college coach Dong Vergeire, said.
UPIS finished the first round in seventh place with a 1–6 record.
Poquiz, a transferee from Marist School Marikina last year, sparked UPIS’ 11–0 run in the third quarter. He converted a midrange jumper, a three-pointer, and an and-one reverse layup to give the Fighting Maroons a 46–36 lead with 3:41 remaining in the period.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
DLSZ, however, mounted a 12–2 counterattack to tie the game at 48-all early in the fourth quarter.
Determined to end their 20-game skid, the Junior Fighting Maroons responded with an 18–5 run, punctuated by four triples from Poquiz. That pushed DLSZ into a 66–53 deficit with 3:15 left on the clock.
Dominic Labao contributed a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, while John Addatu added six points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
The Scores
First Game
UPIS (70) – Poquiz 36, Labao 11, Addatu 6, Manguerra 6, Bautista 4, Rosete 4, Lugatiman 3, Baldovino 0.
DLSZ (59) – E. Purugganan 20, Pangan 15, Mindanao 8, I. Purugganan 5, Delos Reyes 4, Rivera 3, Dizon 2, Asis 2, Quillo 0, Mercado 0, Meloto 0.
Quarterscores: 13-14, 31-30, 48-43, 70-59.
Second Game
FEU-D (72) – Enriquez 16, Cariño 16, Pineda 14, Mampao 8, Cañete 7, Mojica 4, Chavez 3, Barlan 2, Calma 2, Daa 0, Cruz 0, Desiderio 0.
UE (68) – Okebata 19, Aguilar 12, Perdigon 11, Mesa 9, Delos Santos 8, Mallabo 7, Roxas 2, Mercado 0, Felizmenia 0, Ancheta 0.
Quarterscores: 13-17, 31-40, 50-48, 72-68.
