Jhon Canapi of UST celebrates against FEU-Diliman in their Final 4 game in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament, December 8, 2024 at the Araneta Coliseum. UAAP Media

MANILA -- University of Santo Tomas completed its upset of Far Eastern University-Diliman in the Final 4 of the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament to punch its ticket to the championship series.

The Tiger Cubs scored a 67-61 win against the Baby Tamaraws in their do-or-die showdown on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

With the win, they advanced to play the University of the East in a best-of-3 title series that starts on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

UE had earlier secured its spot in the finals after dethroning inaugural champion National University Nazareth School with a commanding 85-64 win, giving the Junior Warriors a week of preparation for the championship round.

UST, meanwhile, had to dig deep to overcome a resilient FEU-D squad twice, beginning with an 84-75 win last Wednesday.

The Tiger Cubs dropped both elimination-round games to the Junior Warriors but showed they are capable of challenging the top-seeded UE, narrowly losing 78-80 in their second-round meeting on October 30.

"Dadagdagan pa namin yung effort namin [against UE], especially on defense. Balik sa practice, viewing na naman. Kung nagawa namin dati na matalo sa kanila by two points, kulang yung effort namin at players noon, ngayon dadagdagan namin para manalo kami," Tiger Cubs head coach Noli Mejos said.

UST held a 59-53 cushion with 6:00 left in the game, but the Baby Tamaraws mounted a furious comeback.

CP Miranda's four-point spurt and an inside bucket from Mark Dulin tied the game at 59-all with 1:53 remaining.

However, Gab Castro emerged as the unsung hero for the Tiger Cubs.

The 15-year-old center from Victory Christian International School delivered three clutch inside baskets, including an and-one layup with 23.4 seconds left, effectively sealing the game for UST with a comfortable 66-61 lead.

In all three plays, Castro was assisted by either Andwele Cabanero or Jhon Canapi.

Anton Lopez had an opportunity to close the gap for FEU-D late in the game, but Canapi swatted away his three-point attempt.

"Naging prepared lang din talaga kami, nagbunga rin yung sacrifices, may halo na ring swerte. Halos lahat din, lucky shots eh. Yung baskets ni Castro, malaking bagay. Nagsimula 'yan nung sacrifices ng mga bata sa practice, talagang sakripisyo all out," Mejos continued.

For the second straight game, Mejos shortened his rotation to just seven players.

In the previous game, he utilized eight players, though eighth man Roi Balague played only two minutes and 35 seconds.

Cabanero led the Tiger Cubs with another stellar all-around performance, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Dustin Bathan matched his scoring with 15 points while adding six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

Miguel Jubilado contributed 13 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Castro shone with 11 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block off the bench.

Despite struggling with his shooting, finishing with just nine points on 2-of-14 from the field, Canapi, the runner-up in the MVP race, made his presence felt with six rebounds, five assists, four steals, and two blocks.

The FEU-D Baby Tamaraws after their Final 4 loss to UST in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament, December 8, 2024 at the Araneta Coliseum. UAAP MediaIt was a heartbreaking finish for FEU-D, runners-up in the inaugural tournament, who entered the semifinals as the second seed with a 12-2 record.

The Baby Tamaraws were also the only team to defeat the Junior Warriors this season, securing an 81-66 victory in the second round last November 24.

Lakay Pasinos carried the load for the Baby Tamaraws with 17 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks, and two assists. Lopez chipped in 11 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and one block.

Mark Dulin also recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, along with four assists, three blocks, and one steal, while Prince Carino added 10 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and one assist in the losing effort.

The Scores:

UST (67) - Cabanero 15, Bathan 15, Jubilado 13, Castro 11, Canapi 9, Villacarlos, Balague 2.

FEU-D (61) - Pasinos 17, Lopez 11, Dulin 11, Carino 10, Miranda 6, Pineda 4, Santos 2, Lassiter 0, Diaz 0.

Quarterscores: 21-16, 35-32, 52-48, 67-61.