Prince Cariño took charge in the final frame, carrying Far Eastern University-Diliman to a thrilling 90-83 win over University of Santo Tomas to end the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament at solo second on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Cariño, a 15-year-old center, scored 16 of his 28 points in the payoff period.
Standing at 6-foot-7, the towering prospect also contributed eight rebounds and three assists, helping FEU-Diliman enter the second round with a 6-1 record and riding a four-game winning streak.
“Siyempre, unang-una, nagpapasalamat ako kay God ‘no,” Cariño said after the game. “Ang masasabi ko lang ay siyempre, masaya kami ng buong team kasi pinagtrabahuan namin makuha ‘tong second place pagkatapos ng first round.
“Pero gayunpaman, malayo pa yung tatahakin namin. Move on po kami and then mag go hard pa kami lalo.”
Meanwhile, National University Nazareth School edged out Ateneo de Manila University in a tight 91-89 contest, concluding the first round tied for fifth with identical 3-4 records.
NUNS and Ateneo sit just half a game behind fourth-placed De La Salle Zobel, which will face UPIS on Sunday.
The momentum shifted late in the game when Theodore Lim’s three-pointer gave UST a narrow 78-76 lead with 3:19 remaining.
Cariño then carried the Baby Tamaraws on his back, scoring seven consecutive points to push FEU-D to an 83-78 advantage with just over two minutes left.
UST fought back, with Andwele Cabañero’s free throw and a layup by Jhon Canapi cutting the deficit to 83-81.
However, Cariño and CP Miranda responded, stretching the lead to 87-81 with just 1:01 left in the contest.
Miranda then iced the game with a jumper at the 26.1-second mark, giving FEU-D its largest lead at 89-81 and securing the victory.
“Unang-una, thankful kami sa players kasi sila naman yung nagtrabaho,” said Baby Tamaraws assistant coach Arwind Santos. “Pero hindi namin kailangan maging kampante kasi hindi naman ito hanggang first round lang eh diba? Ang target talaga namin ay yung tuktok at makuha yung trophy.”
He added, “Kaya para sa amin, it’s not enough. Meron pa rin kaming i-improve talaga – marami pa.”
CP Miranda, the son of FEU head of basketball operations Denok Miranda, followed Cariño’s lead with 18 points, five assists, and six rebounds.
Lakay Pasinos, a recruit from Iguig Central School in Cagayan, contributed a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Mark Dulin filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
In a similar fashion, NUNS staged a dramatic fourth-quarter rally to steal the game from Ateneo.
The Bullpups trailed by as much as 83-71 after a Q Molina jumper with 5:08 left in regulation, but they stormed back with a 20-6 run to turn the tide in their favor.
Chester Tulabut, who finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, tied the game at 89-89 with just 13.3 seconds left.
Ateneo then burned its timeout, but point guard JD Juangco committed a costly turnover and fouled Tulabut, who sank the go-ahead free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining.
With no timeouts left, YJ Lacsamana launched a desperation three-pointer but his attempt missed, sealing Ateneo’s third straight defeat.
“Sabi ko sa kanila, ito na yung last game of the first round kaya kailangan namin kakuha ito,” said Bullpups head coach Kevin De Castro, whose team won three of their last five games.
“Actually, yung Ateneo nasa taas namin. We have never beaten a team above sa amin. Sabi ko sa kanila to take it as a challenge. Kunin natin itong panalo na ito and then eventually baka makuha namin yung inaasam naming Final Four. Yun muna,” he added.
“Credit sa kanila. Nakita ko yung heart at desire nila na hinahanap ko in the first six games.”
Bilibiran Elementary School standout Nick Peña supported Tulabut with 25 points, five rebounds, and two assists for NUNS.
Dwyane Khobuntin, son of former Bulldog Glenn, added 10 points and seven rebounds, while Yujin Peña chipped in nine points and 12 rebounds.
David Sabareza also contributed an all-around effort with five points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals.
Despite UST’s loss, they still ended the first round with a respectable 4-3 record, good for third place.
Canapi, who fouled out with 1:01 remaining, led the Tiger Cubs with 29 points – hitting 6-of-14 from beyond the arc – while also grabbing seven rebounds and making five steals.
Cabañero added 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Dustin Bathan had 12 points, three rebounds, and seven assists.
On the Ateneo side, five Eagles scored in double figures.
Zane Kallos led the Blue Eagles with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists.
Q, the son of former Ateneo head coach and current FEU athletics director Mark Molina, tallied 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Sky Jazul chipped in 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Juangco contributed 11 points, while Lacsamana rounded out the group with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists.
The Scores:
First Game
FEU-D (90) – Cariño 28, Miranda 18, Pasinos 13, Dulin 11, Lopez 5, Santos 5, Enriquez 4, Lassiter 2, Pingris 2, Pineda 2, Diaz 0.
UST (83) – Canapi 29, Cabañero 24, Bathan 12, Jubilado 7, Lim 3, Castro 2, Yu 2, Balague 2, Guinto 2, Guerrero 0, Aguilar 0, Villacarlos 0.
Quarterscores: 21-29, 40-44, 64-58, 90-83
Second Game
NUNS (91) – Tulabut 30, N. Peña 25, Khobuntin 10, Y. Peña 9, Sabareza 5, Toring 5, Urea 2, Tadeo 2, Gutierrez 0.
Ateneo (89) – Kallos 24, Molina 13, Jazul 13, Juangco 11, Lacsamana 10, Ngo 9, Bernarte 6, Ramos 3, Pineda 0, Divinagracia 0.
Quarterscores: 23-25, 52-52, 67-72, 91-89
