UE FORCES DECISIVE GAME 3
Top-seeded University of the East capitalized on the early ejection of Andwele Cabanero to secure a hard-fought 76-70 win over University of Santo Tomas on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Finals.
Cabanero, a member of the Mythical Five, was ejected at the 6:54 mark of the first quarter after striking Neil Garcia twice with a closed fist during a loose ball scuffle, leaving UST without their star player.
Despite the setback, the Tiger Cubs mounted a strong challenge, spearheaded by Jhon Canapi, Miguel Jubilado, and Dustin Bathan, who combined for 62 points in the loss.
The Junior Warriors are now one win away from ending a 39-year UAAP basketball title drought. Cabanero will miss the decisive Game 3 due to his ejection in this game.
UE head coach Andrew Estrella reflected on his team's determination, saying, "That’s the motivation: to bring UE another championship. As I’ve said, huwag kayo susuko ‘eh, and then we won, so bakit pa namin ibibigay ito? Ang dami na namin pinaghirapan, in and out the court, ito na ‘yon ‘eh. Bakit pa namin ibibigay ‘eh nandito na kami sa Game 3."
With just 2:23 left in the game, UE held a slim two-point lead following a five-point surge from Jolo Pascual and an inside basket from Gab Delos Reyes. However, back-to-back layups from Jubilado and Canapi gave UST a 70-68 advantage with 1:44 remaining.
Canapi then committed three consecutive fouls, setting up six straight free throws—four from Mav Mesina and two from Garcia—that put UE ahead 74-70 with 20.3 seconds left.
UST had a final opportunity to close the gap, but Theodore Lim, who had been filling in for Cabanero, missed a critical three-point attempt. Mesina then iced the game with two more free throws, securing UE's win and keeping their championship hopes alive.
"Ever since bata naman tayo, siguro kapag nagbbasketball, free throw is a common shot to make. I’ve made that shot more than a thousand times na, so what’s there to be scared about?" said Mesina, a 14-year-old combo guard from Malabon.
Mesina bounced back from a subpar Game 1 performance, finishing with 21 points on a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. He also added five assists, four rebounds, and one steal. In contrast, he had been limited to just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting and committed seven turnovers in Game 1.
Garcia contributed a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Delos Reyes also posted a double-double, recording 11 points, a game-high 21 rebounds, and three blocks, while Pascual chipped in eight points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
