Historic.

That’s the only word to describe Cabs Cabonilas’ senior year campaign with Far Eastern University-Diliman.

Besides leading the Baby Tamaraws to their 10th title in the UAAP High School Boys’ Basketball division, the 6-foot-4 forward also made league history.

For the first time ever, a player was named both the regular season and finals Most Valuable Player.

It’s a feat no one else has achieved — not even UAAP greats like Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Jerie Pingoy, or Justine Baltazar.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

Cabonilas averaged 15.79 points, 8.86 rebounds, 3.79 assists, 1.79 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game in the season.

He stepped up even more in the finals, putting up 24.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 2.0 steals across the three-game series.

For the 19-year-old native of Digos City, the achievement is a testament to his teammates and coaches.

“Yung pagkuha ko sa dalawang MVP, hindi para sa akin, para sa coaches, pamilya, at teammates ko ito,” he said after FEU-Diliman’s epic 106-102 win over NUNS in Game 3 of the Finals on Monday.

Mike Reyes, who serves as both head coach of the Baby Tamaraws and basketball program director of FEU, couldn’t help but be in awe of Cabonilas.

“Wala akong masasabi kay Cabs. They played good defense on him. Sabi ko, kailangan natin ma-counter, they’re playing your strong side, kailangan natin maka-atake sa right mo, and nagawa naman niya,” shared Reyes. “There was a leading basket designed for Cabs. I told him, Cabs, desisyon mo na. Kung meron ka, you take it; kung wala, ikaw na mag-decide. It’s your decision.

“Wala kang masasabi sa puso ni Cabs.”

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

But Cabonilas’ high school journey is not yet over.

Already a two-time UAAP champion in 5-on-5, Cabonilas is now eyeing another title — a second 3×3 crown next month.

After that, he will make his next move.

“Next journey ko, parang… Parang hindi ko pa masasagot ’yan eh kasi parang… parang pag-iisipan ko. Pero sa tingin ko, parang hindi ko muna… Pero tingnan ko muna yung pamilya ko,” he said.

“Enjoy muna. Enjoy muna ako ngayon.”

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The PBA Commissioner’s Office has slapped a P20,000 fine on Calvin Abueva for statements detrimental to the league following his remarks against officiating after his Converge lost to Barangay Ginebra on Sunday night.

The ‘Beast’ appeared before Commissioner Willie Marcial on Monday, as he was summoned for his ‘paldo’ rant shortly after the final buzzer rang on their 99-93 defeat to the Kings, in which they coughed up a double-digit deficit.

“Paldo! Paldo referee,” Abueva said while on his way to the SMART Araneta Coliseum dugout, according to videos by news outlets covering the beat.

Abueva was in uniform for the highly awaited rematch of Philippine Cup quarter-finalists last December, but wasn’t fielded by Coach Delta Pineda.

The FiberXers appeared to have solved the Ginebra puzzle when they got off to a strong start and even held a 10-point lead at one point, but the crowd darlings buckled down to work in the third quarter to turn things around.

Converge allowed the opposition to drop 39 big points in the said period, although it still had a chance in the endgame when it led, 93-92.

But Troy Rosario tied it up with a split from the foul line, before RJ Abarrientos and Justin Brownlee joined hands for the strong windup as the traditional contenders flexed their vaunted poise against the injury-riddled team.

Character proved to be the difference, with FiberXers guard Alec Stockton, for one, committing another costly error in crunch time when his inbound got deflected and eventually led to a ‘JB’ bucket for the 97-93 Ginebra lead.

Brownlee would go on to ice the game with a perfect trip to the foul line, as Converge could no longer find the mark, especially from downtown.

Pineda & Co. were left a frustrated bunch, and Abueva himself would say his piece for the public to hear, although it came at a price, eventually.

The FiberXers have lost their fourth straight game already after opening their conference triumphantly against guest team Macau last March 11.

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Far Eastern University-Diliman rose to the occasion, rallying from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit and eventually taking control in overtime to claim a 106-102 Game 3 victory over National University Nazareth School, capturing the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Basketball title on Monday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

In a grueling contest, it was the Baby Tamaraws who found another gear when it mattered most.

Khean Esperanza got to the foul line early in extra time, giving FEU-D a 99-96 lead with 1:59 remaining. It wasn’t until the one-minute mark—when Moussa Diakite found Corian Cabantog for a basket—that the Bullpups scored in overtime, but Cabs Cabonilas responded immediately with a three-point play.

A split at the line by Esperanza, followed by Shaun Lucido hitting two of three free throws with 11.6 seconds left, set the stage for a heart-stopping finish with FEU-D ahead, 103-100. An inbound by Cabonilas off the backboard gave Ronnie Matias two free throws, cutting the lead to a single point with 7.7 seconds remaining.

On the next possession, Esperanza split his freebies, giving NUNS another chance with 6.2 seconds on the clock. However, Cabonilas intercepted Matias’ inbound and sank two clutch free throws to seal the championship.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

“Siyempre, it’s a very, very different feeling because 28 years back, medyo iba ang basketball eh,” said first-year Baby Tamaraws head coach Mike Reyes, who also won the UAAP boys’ title with Ateneo in Seasons 62 (1999) and 63 (2000).

“Ang talagang pinakamasayang nangyari with this championship is we all know Cabs and (Marc) Burgos, may kukuha sa kanila sa college, but sila Sam (Hall), (Yosef) Rañeses, and John Santos, nakita ni Coach Sean (Chambers) kung anong magagawa nila. So, maybe, they will be given a shot in our college team,” he added.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

Cabonilas made history as the first UAAP high school player to win both the regular-season and Finals MVP awards since stats were officially recorded in 2002. He averaged 24.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 2.0 steals across the three-game series, which saw FEU-D open with a 77-73 victory last March 22, before NUNS forced a decider with an 80-59 win last Thursday.

The 6-foot-4 Digos City native poured in 35 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and three blocks in the winner-take-all game, with his scoring matched by NUNS Grade 11 guard Shaun Lucido.

“Yung pagkuha ko sa dalawang MVP, hindi para sa akin, para sa coaches, pamilya, at teammates ko ito. Pinagsipagan ko lang ito at saka palagi akong nakikinig sa buong coaching staff. Sinasabihan lang nila ako at yung mga teammates ko na no pressure at kunin namin to,” said the 19-year-old forward, now a three-time champion, having also won the 5-on-5 title in UAAP Season 85 (2023) and the 3×3 crown last season.

The triumph marked FEU-D’s 10th championship in the division and its first since Season 85, when the Baby Tamaraws were led by Janrey Pasaol, Veejay Pre, and Kirby Mongcopa under coach Allan Albano, who had returned mid-season after stints at Adamson and Perpetual Help.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

NUNS, seeking redemption in its third straight winner-take-all appearance under coach Kevin De Castro, started strong but faltered down the stretch as FEU-D engineered a massive comeback.

The Baby Tamaraws trailed by as many as 13 points, 81-68, early in the fourth quarter, but fought back just as they had all season.

With two minutes remaining, Hall hit a big three-pointer to cut NUNS’ lead to 92-90, followed by another triple from Esperanza that put FEU-D ahead. A split by Rañeses extended the lead to two points, but Lucido’s drive tied the contest.

Esperanza converted two free throws with 6.7 seconds left, but a foul by Rañeses sent the game to overtime after Lucido hit crucial free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

“Resiliency, yes. That’s who we were the whole season. All year round, when we lost to Ateneo, we came back and played well. When we lost to NU, our game was strong again. So I was expecting us to play really well today. But at halftime, our ball screen defense wasn’t there. We were really passive. When we came out for the third quarter, we were a bit more aggressive, but NU really played well,” said Esperanza.

“I really give credit to the whole coaching staff, our conditioning—everything. From day one, when I first met all the coaches, I told them that the success of this year would be because of all of them. I will lead this, but you all are the ones we can rely on to achieve a championship. True enough, it happened today. Of course, the resiliency of the players—even when down, we were there. We did not give up.”

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

Esperanza finished with 23 points, while Dwyne Enriquez and Marc Burgos added 13 and 10 points, respectively, with both also hauling in five rebounds each.

Cabantog recorded 18 points and 16 rebounds for NUNS, while Ronnie Matias tallied 17 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Moussa Diakite added 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Graduating for NUNS, who entered the post-season as the top seed, are Sofiane Bouzina, Chad Cartel, Kurl Figueroa, Lebron Manding, Sal Mann, Ronnie Matias, and Meikho Natinga.

The Scores

FEU-D 106 – Cabonilas 35, Esperanza 23, Enriquez 13, Burgos 10, Gaye 8, Rañeses 5, Alagaban 5, Hall 4, Cagurungan 3, Sohm 0, Santos 0, Dagcutan 0.

NUNS 102 – Lucido 35, Cabantog 18, M. Matias 17, Diakite 13, Cartel 6, Figueroa 5, R. Matias 4, Juan 4, Bouzina 0, Natinga 0.

Quarterscores: 24-24, 41-47, 64-76, 96-96

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