UNIVERSITY of the East dominated University of Santo Tomas, 78-47, to clinch the first regular UAAP junior high school boys basketball championship yesterday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The Junior Warriors put the game beyond recall early in the second half, opening the third period with a telling 9-0 run and led by as much as 33 points, to prevail over the Tiger Cubs in the best-of-three series, 2-1.

The last time UE celebrated a basketball championship was in 1985 when its men’s basketball team, led by legends Allan Caidic and Jerry Codiñera, brought home the crown.

The last time the Junior Warriors enjoyed high school basketball glory was in 1981, under the guidance of coach Gabriel Reyala, with standout players led by Codiñera and Modesto Hojilla.

“Finally, after how many years. It’s important for the school and the program. As I’ve said before, this would be enough na puntahan kami ng mga players. All of the teams namin sa basketball, puntahan na,” coach Andrew Estrella said.

Save for the two losses, against Far Eastern University-Diliman that ended a 12-game winning streak late in the eliminations and UST in Game 1 of the Finals, UE was dominant all-season long.

After the Tiger Cubs’ stunning 98-84 series-opening win, the Junior Warriors pulled off a hard-fought 76-70 win in Game 2 to force the decider.

Estrella described the winner-take-all as a “perfect game.”

“The boys wanted it. They delivered. Sa gameplan namin, hindi sila bumitaw. In short, they wanted the championship and here it is,” said Estrella.

By the midway point of the third quarter, the UE community—led by school president Dr. Zosimo Battad—was already on its feet, dancing to the beat of the school’s drummers in celebration.

“This is so sweet. This is my first time in the UAAP. Credit to the UE community and, most especially, SGA, Boss Frank, Boss Jared, and Boss Jacob (Lao) for building this team,” said Estrella. “Three months of sacrifices. We went through adversities but we rose above it.”

Gab Delos Reyes was named Finals MVP after averaging 9.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in the series. He capped his stellar performance in Game 3 with six points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks.

“Siyempre po ngayong Game 3, hindi namin inisip na wala si (Andwele) Cabañero. Naglaro lang kami ng tama at sinunod lang yung coaches,” said Delos Reyes.

Cabañero was suspended in the decider after he was ejected for striking Neil Garcia twice during a loose ball scuffle early in Game 2.

Ethan Oraa took the scoring mantle for UE with 13 points, while Enrico Bungar chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Dustin Bathan led UST with 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting, while Jhon Canapi managed just 11 points on 1-of-24 shooting.

Looking ahead, 10 of the 11 Junior Warriors will move up to the 19-and-under division next UAAP season, leaving Goodluck Okebata as the lone returning player for the Junior Warriors.

The work isn’t done for Estrella, who will assist Karl Santos in the high school boys’ basketball tournament, which tips off on January 19.

“I hope this inspires our 19-and-under team,” said Estrella.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Theodore P. Jurado