Third-seeded University of Santo Tomas completed its stunning upset of second-seeded Far Eastern University-Diliman, pulling off a hard-earned 67-61 victory to secure the last ticket to the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Finals on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
With this triumph, the Tiger Cubs advance to a best-of-three championship series against the top-seeded University of the East Junior Warriors.
The Finals tip off on Wednesday, December 11, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
UE booked its Finals slot earlier in the week with an emphatic 85-64 victory over inaugural champion National University-Nazareth School, giving the Junior Warriors ample time to prepare for the title showdown.
Meanwhile, UST had to battle through adversity, overcoming FEU-D twice in a row to earn their place in the finals.
The Tiger Cubs began their journey with an 84-75 win last Wednesday to force the do-or-die game.
Despite dropping both elimination-round contests to UE, the Tiger Cubs showed they could compete with the league’s top team, narrowly falling 78-80 in their second-round encounter on October 30.
“Dadagdagan pa namin yung effort namin [against UE], especially on defense. Balik sa practice, viewing na naman. Kung nagawa namin dati na matalo sa kanila by two points, kulang yung effort namin at players noon, ngayon dadagdagan namin para manalo kami,” said UST head coach Noli Mejos.
UST held a precarious 59-53 lead with six minutes remaining, but the Baby Tamaraws staged a fierce rally.
CP Miranda scored four straight points, followed by an inside basket from Mark Dulin, tying the game at 59-all with 1:53 left on the clock.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
That’s when Gab Castro stepped up as UST’s unlikely hero.
The 15-year-old center delivered three crucial inside baskets in the final stretch, capped by an and-one layup with 23.4 seconds remaining, giving UST a commanding 66-61 lead.
Castro’s pivotal plays were all assisted by teammates Andwele Cabanero and Jhon Canapi.
FEU-D had a chance to close the gap, but Anton Lopez’s late three-point attempt was emphatically swatted away by Canapi, sealing the Tiger Cubs’ victory.
“Naging prepared lang din talaga kami, nagbunga rin yung sacrifices, may halo na ring swerte. Halos lahat din, lucky shots ‘eh. Yung baskets ni Castro, malaking bagay. Nagsimula ‘yan nung sacrifices ng mga bata sa practice, talagang sakripisyo all out,” Mejos added.
Mejos kept a tight rotation for the second straight game, relying on just seven players.
Leading the way was Cabanero, who showcased his versatility with 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
Dustin Bathan matched his production with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Miguel Jubilado provided valuable contributions with 13 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Castro, the game’s closer, finished with 11 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block off the bench.
Despite struggling offensively, Canapi – the second runner-up in the MVP race – made an impact with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals, and two blocks.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
It was a disappointing end for FEU-D, which entered the semifinals with a 12-2 record as the second seed.
The Baby Tamaraws were also the only team to defeat UE this season, securing an 81-66 win last November 24.
Lakay Pasinos led FEU-D with a monster performance, tallying 17 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks, and two assists.
Lopez chipped in 11 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and one block.
Dulin contributed a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, along with four assists, three blocks, and one steal.
Prince Carino rounded out the scoring with 10 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and one assist.
The Scores:
UST (67) – Cabanero 15, Bathan 15, Jubilado 13, Castro 11, Canapi 9, Villacarlos, Balague 2.
FEU-D (61) – Pasinos 17, Lopez 11, Dulin 11, Carino 10, Miranda 6, Pineda 4, Santos 2, Lassiter 0, Diaz 0.
Quarterscores: 21-16, 35-32, 52-48, 67-61.
