UST crushes FEU-D by 38, makes semis

University of Santo Tomas (UST) secured the second seed and an outright spot in the semifinals following a dominant 108-70 rout of Far Eastern University-Diliman (FEU-D) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88 junior high school basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Rowie Cabañero notched his second triple-double of the season, while the duo of Miguel Jubilado and CJ Tabbuga also delivered in a big way to power the Tiger Cubs to their 10th win in 14 games.

Cabañero’s all-around brilliance of 17 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, and four blocks carried UST to one of its most important victories of the year.

This was the 5-foot-6 guard’s second triple-double of the season, following his 17-point, 10-rebound, and 10-assist performance in UST’s first-round win over FEU-D last 15 October.

With the trio leading the way, the Tiger Cubs picked up significant momentum, winning four of their last five contests.

“We’re happy with the outcome of the game because the players responded in the preparation we had the past few weeks. Our preparations were the same, but this time, we were able to properly execute it,” UST coach Noli Mejos said.

After taking a 48-35 lead at halftime, UST broke the game open with a dominant 27-12 third-quarter stretch — fueled by Tabbuga’s 15-point eruption built on five three-pointers — to establish a commanding 75-47 advantage heading into the final frame.

That run proved to be the knockout punch, as two free throws by Cabañero followed by back-to-back triples from Tabbuga and Wayne Anggot stretched the lead to 90-54 with under five minutes remaining.

UST will now await the winner of the stepladder quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 FEU-D and No. 4 Adamson University.

Top-ranked National University Nazareth School, having swept the eliminations, has already secured a direct Finals berth and awaits the survivor from the three-team chase.

Tabbuga finished with 25 points built on seven triples along with 15 rebounds, while Jubilado was one assist shy of a triple-double after tallying 21 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and one block.

Jacob Datu added 20 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Gab Castro contributed seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

For FEU-D, Dwyne Enriquez led the charge with 20 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Prince Cariño followed with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and one block.