By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Cabs Cabonilas of Far Eastern University-Diliman is set to be named Most Valuable Player after topping the Statistical Points (SP) race in the UAAP Season 88 boys basketball tournament.
The 6-foot-4 forward from Digos City tallied 83.286 SP at the end of the elimination round.
Cabonilas, 19, averaged 15.79 points, 8.86 rebounds, 3.79 assists, 1.79 steals and 1.5 blocks across 14 games, leading the Baby Tamaraws to an 11-3 record.
FEU-D will still face Ateneo de Manila University in a playoff for the No. 2 seed on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Kiefer Alas garnered 91.429 SPs last season to win the MVP award over Cabonilas (90.071 SPs).
Meanwhile, Nigerian Jude Eriobu of Ateneo will receive the Best Foreign Student-Athlete award after tallying 99.857 SPs. He averaged 21.64 points, 17.07 rebounds, 3.29 blocks, and 1.0 steals in 14 games.
Joining Cabonilas and Eriobu in the Elite Team are De La Salle-Zobel’s Maco Dabao (71.286), University of Santo Tomas’ Kirk Canete (69.5), and Ateneo’s Jay M. Leal (66.214).
National University Nazareth School point guard Mot Matias (70.923) and Malian center Moussa Diakite (70.385) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
However, Matias was suspended during the game against UE last February 25 after accumulating two unsportsmanlike fouls, making him ineligible for an individual award.
Since only one foreign student-athlete is allowed on the Elite Team, Diakite was also ruled out of contention for the spot.
In the girls division, UST’s Rhiane Perez got 103.5 SPs to beat NUNS’s Zayden Rosano (101.167) for the MVP honor.
The 17-year-old Perez averaged 14.17 points, 10.83 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.5 steals and 2.17 blocks.
UST and NUNS finished the eliminations with similar 5-1 records and will face off in the best-of-three Finals series.
NUNS’ Aubrey Lapasaran (82.667) and UST’s Indonesian center Koukoou Talla (76.0) and Lea Piñuela (74.333) complete the Elite Team.
The awarding ceremony will be held on March 22 (12 p.m.) at the Blue Eagle Gym. (PNA)
