FEU’s Janrey Pasaol edges DLSU’s Mike Phillips to snatch MVP award

THE final playdate of the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball proved to be more than just a rumble for the final ticket.

In a surprising turn, Janrey Pasaol stole the thunder from league leaders in the nick of time to claim the Most Valuable Player (MVP) honor as a consolation prize to Far Eastern University’s (FEU) exit at the end of the two-round eliminations.

Mr. Pasaol finished with 81.5 statistical points to snatch the award from De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Mike Phillips and National University’s (NU) Jake Figueroa behind a solid performance in the FEU Tamaraws’ 81-79 win against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers to finish at fifth place with a 7-7 slate.

The brother of PBA player and UAAP great Alvin delivered a double-double of 13 points and 11 assists laced by six rebounds and five steals, proving enough to propel him to No. 1 in the statistical race from No. 3. entering the final game.

Mr. Pasaol, who’s set to be crowned as the first Tamaraw MVP since Terrence Romeo in 2013, was the league’s best floor general with a league-best 7.5 assists on top of 15.43 points, 4.14 rebounds and 2.14 steals.

Before FEU’s last assignment against semis-bound Santo Tomas, Mr. Pasaol was sitting at third with 79.154 points behind Mr. Phillips (79.231) and Santo Tomas foreign-student athlete (FSA) Collins Akowe (82.231), who however is ineligible for MVP award due to the new UAAP ruling.

Mr. Phillips and Mr. Akowe went on to finish with only 80.429 and 79.286 points, respectively.

Mr. Figueroa, as the captain of league-leading NU, led majority of the second round but settled for three points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in the Bulldogs’ 80-71 loss to the Growling Tigers to miss out with 77.286 points.

The three joined Mr. Pasaol to the Mythical Five, now rebranded as the Elite Team, including Santo Tomas’ Nic Cabañero who finished seventh in the race with 66.643 points.

University of the East’s (UE) Precious Momowei (74.214) and FEU’s Mo Konateh (74.786) were ahead of Mr. Cabañero but only one FSA could make it to the Top Five.

New UAAP ruling has a separate MVP award for locals and Best FSA award for foreign players but since there was no top FSA in the statistical race with Mr. Akowe settling for third behind locals Messrs. Pasaol and Phillips, no such plum will be awarded this season.

High school sensation Mr. Akowe will have the Rookie of the Year instead after winning the MVP and Best FSA awards in his final two junior seasons with the NU Bullpups before committing for the Growling Tigers in the collegiate ranks.

In women’s division, NU’s Karl Ann Pingol (93.571) ended the back-to-back MVP reign of Ateneo’s Kacey dela Rosa (91.429) as Santo Tomas’ Kent Pastrana (88.643), NU’s Kristine Cayabyab (73.571) and Angel Surada (71.714) completed the Elite Team.

UE’s Goodluck Okebata clinched the MVP plum in the U16 division with 96.214 points. Joining him in the Elite Team were Santo Tomas’ Rowie Cabañero (95.643), FEU’s Dwyne Enriquez (89.286), NU’s Moussa Diakite (85.143) and FEU’s Prince Cariño (84.769). — John Bryan Ulanday