WHILE University of Santo Tomas standout CJ Cansino emerged as the season’s top most valuable player candidate, two Ateneo standouts are also in the race for the best players of the season.
Cansino is fast becoming the hands down candidate for the MVP after the second round of Season 80 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Junior Basketball tournament. He piled up 88.42 statistical points.
And things are expected to get even more interesting after the UST Tiger Cubs reached the playoff for the last semifinals slot with the Adamson Baby Falcons on Wednesday after their 64-62 win over the defending champion Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws.
Cansino led the Tiger Cubs with 26 points in that game. But it was John Lina’s defense on Daniel Celso that kept the Baby Tams from going for a last shot as time expired that allowed UST to escaped and finish the second round with their seventh win in 14 games.
They share the same 7-7 slate with the Baby Falcons, who turned back La Salle Zobel, 75-51, last Sunday, and UST and Adamson will go into a 10 a.m. playoff on Wednesday for the fourth stepladders semifinals slot.
Seven foot one Kai Sotto and Sam Belangel are at no. 2 and 3 positions on the MVP stats race. One of them could be the finals MVP after the Blue Eaglets pulled off 78-68 triumph over the Nazareth School-National University Bullpups at the Eagle gym in Quezon City.
It was Belangel’s all around game in the last three minutes that bailed out the Ateneo Blue Eaglets out of trouble.
His inside game and outside shooting helped propel the Blue Eaglets to 78-68 triumph over the Nazareth School-National University Bullpups on a late Sunday afternoon at the Blue Eagle gym in Quezon City.
The 5’11” Belangel struck with 16 of 31 points in the final period, and his efforts allowed the Blue Eaglets to pull off a 14-game sweep of their elimination round assignment and earn an outright finals seat afterwards.
Sean Ildefonso banged in 16 points for the Blue Eaglets, while Sotto added 10. Sotto converted three of four charities in the last 1:39 to keep Ateneo ahead, 73-68.
With the sweep, their second in four years, the Blue Eaglets gained an outright final seat. They will now wait for the result of the stepladder semifinals.
One of Belangel’s two triples in the last 2:25 allowed the Blue Eaglets to tie the count for the last time, 68-all.
Then, his steal and drive off RJ Minerva with 2:02 to allowed the Blue Eaglets to regain the lead, 70-68.
“Binigyan ako ng kumpiyansa ng mga teammates ko kaya nanalo kami nang ganoon. It was a great team effort. Kahit may palpak kami, sa huli ay na-solve din namin,” said the 17-year-old Belangel.
The Bullpups, with Miguel Oczon showing the way with 17 points, finished second in the eliminations with an 11-3 card.