The UST Tiger Cubs close out the Nazareth School-NU Bullpups in the winner-takes-all Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 Boys Basketball Finals.
Twenty-four years in the making.
The UST Tiger Cubs are champions once more after withstanding a furious comeback attempt by the Nazareth School-NU Bullpups in a thrilling 83-77 overtime win during Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 Boys’ Basketball Finals on Wednesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
UST now secures its 12th UAAP boys’ basketball title — their first since Season 64 in 2001 — to widen their gap as the second-winningest juniors’ basketball program behind the storied Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Though it was far from an easy win for the Tiger Cubs, with the Bullpups mounting a huge 15-4 rally in the final period to erase a 17-point deficit. Despite some stabilizing buckets from UST, a putback from Migs Palanca off a Chad Cartel miss at the 0.6-second mark paved the way for an extra period.
It was here when the Tiger Cubs secured their 21st juniors’ title, as foreign student athlete Racine Kane took advantage of Collins Akowe getting fouled out during the final seconds of regulation.
“Thank you kay God, sabi ko naman lahat ay possible kundi dahil kay God. Seventeen-point lead nawala, so walang safe na lead…So sabi ko nga, wala kami pakelam kung sino lamang, basta trabaho kami umpisa hanggang dulo. Sinuwerte kami nung overtime na kami ‘yung naka-score nang naka-score, kaya ‘yan, panalo,” said head coach Manu Iñigo, who became just the fifth coach to win a title in both the UAAP and NCAA in the modern era.
Kane ended his high school career with a bang, scoring a game-high 28 points, to go along with 17 rebounds, which netted him Finals MVP honors in the thrilling three-game series.
Graduating big man Koji Buenaflor also came alive in the second half to finish with 12 points and a whopping 15 rebounds, while Charles Esteban added 11 markers of his own and guard Carl Manding with 10. Starting guard Kirk Cañete also recorded a near triple-double of eight points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
“Masaya po sa feeling since ang tagal na po namin pangarap na maging champion. The last two seasons, fourth place lang kami tas dumating po sina Coach Manu…and kaming mga seniors, sinabi po namin sa isa’t isa before the season na mag-step up po kami kasi last na namin,” said Manding, a graduating Tiger Cub himself.
Kane added, “After Game 2, Coach Manu talked to me, saying that we need to finish it in Game 3. This is our last year, that’s why we really did everything today, both for UST and Coach Manu.”
NU’s Akowe finished his high school career with 23 points and 24 rebounds, keeping the Bullpups afloat with his fellow twin tower Migs Palanca, who added 21 points and 13 rebounds in his own swan song.
Along with the Akowe-Palanca pairing, the Bullpups will also bid farewell to Mac Alfanta, Jed Solomon, Jid Locsin, Iver Napa, Gab Nepacena, Tom Pillado, Allan Timbang, and Alnhumaeri Usop. But for now, it’s back to the drawing board after suffering another silver medal finish, following their three-game heartbreak to the Adamson Baby Falcons in Season 86.
Banner images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.