FEU-DILIMAN and Ateneo booked the first two tickets to the UAAP Season 88 boys’ basketball Final Four in contrasting fashion Wednesday afternoon at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
MVP frontrunner Cabs Cabonilas led the Baby Tamaraws to a wire-to-wire 103-52 victory vs. the University of the Philippines Integrated School, securing the program’s ninth consecutive Final Four appearance.
FEU-D relied on consecutive baskets from Prince Carino, Cabonilas, Dwayne Enriquez, and Duke Santos to turn a slim 39-28 lead into a comfortable 54-34 halftime advantage that would remain until the final buzzer.
“That’s the goal of every team naman sa UAAP. We’re all really excited because of how we played today. Hindi ko masyado tinitignan yung winning margin, but the intensity on defense, umangat nang umangat. Even if we had a good lead, we kept the intensity the whole game,” head coach Mike Reyes said.
Cabonilas led five Baby Tamaraws in double-figures with 13 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block, while JB Cagurungan and Jastien Dagcutan added 12 points each.
Meanwhile, Kean Poquiz stepped up for the still-winless Fighting Maroons with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals, while Zandro Lugatiman added 14 points, four assists, three rebounds, and one steal.
With the win, the Baby Tams stayed atop the eight-team field with a 10-2 record, even as Ateneo fanned the flames for its twice-to-beat aspirations with a 9-3 slate.
Blue Eagles back!
Meanwhile, Noah Banal and Nigerian center Jude Eriobu combined for 51 points, as the Blue Eagles sent defending champion University of Santo Tomas to the brink of elimination in a 90-83 thriller.
“I am happy for the program, more than anything else. I went back coaching because of the program, more than myself or whoever,” head coach Bacon Austria said, as they returned to the Final Four for the first time since Season 82 (2020).
With Ateneo down 77-78 with 3:57 remaining, Sky Jazul free throws, a Ziv Espinas layup, and a dagger triple from Banal made up a late 7-2 run to put the Tiger Cubs in an 84-80 hole with 89 seconds left.
UST stayed within striking distance on a Jetlee Melano triple, but the blue-and-white closed out the game with one Espinas free throw, an Eriobu inside hit, and another Banal charity stripe make, restoring an 88-83 advantage with 22.7 seconds remaining.
Banal finished with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting, two rebounds, and one steal, while Eriobu dominated with 23 points, 17 rebounds, six blocks, and one steal.
Leal contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal, while Zane Kallos orchestrated the offense with seven points, 11 assists, three rebounds, and one steal.
For the Tiger Cubs, Jetlee Melano fronted the effort with 23 points, seven rebounds, and one steal, while Simon Pulongbarit added 18 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
A win by De La Salle Zobel over Adamson in the ongoing game would complete the tournament’s Final Four cast and officially oust both UST and Adamson.
Should the Jr. Archers win, the University of the East (4-7) would then need to pull off an upset against NU-Nazareth School later at to avoid elimination of its own.
The Scores:
First Game:
FEU-D 103 - Cabonilas 13, Cagurungan 12, Dagcutan 12, D. Santos 10, Burgos 10, Esperanza 8, Gaye 8, Hall 8, Carino 8, Raneses 4, Enriquez 4, J. Santos 4, Alaban 2, Sohm 0.
UPIS 52 - Poquiz 17, Lugatiman 14, Hallare 11, Tubongbanua 9, Addatu 1, Labao 0, M. Rosete 0, J. Rosete 0, Hernandez 0, Villanueva 0, Ryan 0.
Quarters: 29-21, 56-34, 87-43, 103-52.
Second Game:
ATENEO 90 - Banal 28, Eriobu 23, Leal 15, Kallos 7, Espinas 7, Gatmaitan 3, Kaw 3, Tamayo 2, Jazul 2, Reyes 0.
UST 83 - Melano 23, Pulongbarit 18, Ludovice 14, Canapi 14, Canete 6, Ajani 6, Esteban 2, Candare 0, Sta. Maria 0, Bohol 0, Lapastora 0, Vidanes 0.
Quarters: 28-24, 45-48, 63-64, 90-83.
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