Junior Warriors force Game 3 vs Tiger Cubs in UAAP juniors hoops finals

MANILA, Philippines -- For all the marbles.

The University of the East Junior Warriors outlasted the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs, 76-70, to extend the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Finals series to a winner-take-all Game 3 Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The two teams were kept in a nip-and-tuck fourth quarter, but UE’s free throws ultimately spelled the difference down the stretch.

Mav Mesina spearheaded UE with 21 points, five assists and four rebounds to go with a steal. Neil Garcia added 13, while Gab delos Reyes flexed his might inside with 11 markers and 21 boards, as well as three swats.

With Mythical Five member Andwele Cabanero ejected in the early moments of the game, UST was able to take a slim five-point lead, 58-53, early on in the fourth quarter after a short stab by Gab Castro.

Mesina, though, went on a personal 5-0 blitz to tie the game up, which set the tone for the rest of the game.

Tiger Cub Dustin Bathan then sank a layup with 7:40 remaining, before Jared Ferreros answered back with a triple to give UE the lead, 61-60.

In the ensuing possessions, the two squads traded triples.

Back-to-back layups by Jolo Pascual and delos Reyes gave the Junior Warriors the lead, 70-68, before Miguel Jubilado and Jhon Canapi gave UST the much-needed lead, 70-68.

However, fouls hounded UST in the final minute.

Mesina, on the other end, was fouled and tied the game up at 70. In the next possession, Jubilado missed a short stab that would have given the España-based cagers the lead, but he missed.

UE went to Mesina anew on the other end, who missed a trey but he got his own rebound. He was then fouled, and made the freebies to push UE to the advantage, 72-70, with 51.5 seconds left.

Bathan tried to tie it but missed a floater with less than 30 seconds to go. Canapi was forced to stop the clock with a foul, but it turned out to be his fifth and final foul.

Garcia sank both foul shots with 20.3 seconds left to keep UST at bay.

Theodore Lim then hoisted up a wild shot that missed, and Mesina put the icing on the cake with free throws as time winded down.

Enrico Bungar had nine points, while Pascual had eight markers and eight boards for the Junior Red Warriors.

Canapi and Jubilado had 21 markers apiece. The former had 11 boards, four dimes and three steals, while the latter had nine rebounds and two steals. Bathan finished with 20 points for UST.

Cabanero is expected to be suspended for the winner-take-all Game 3 on Wednesday.

Before Game 2, Ateneo’s Zane Kallos was named the first-ever regular Most Valuable Player of the UAAP Junior High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament.

Kallos averaged 18.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game for the 5-9 Blue Eagles. He notched 95.308 statistical points (SPs.) 

He joined an elite group of Ateneo high school MVPs, including Larry Fonacier, Ken Barracoso, Bacon Austria, Thirdy Ravena, Mike Nieto, and Kai Sotto.

Canapi and Cabanero joined Kallos in the Mythical Five, along with University of the Philippines Integrated Schoool Fighting Maroons’ Bruce Tubongbanua and Jhustin Hallare.

Cabanero had averages of 16.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game, while Canapi finished the eliminations with 23.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game for 86.929 SPs.

Tubongbanua averaged 20.1 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.43 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, earning 85.5 SPs, while Hallare stood out as a prolific scorer, posting averages of 25.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals for 82.714 SPs.