text: Early struggles didn’t faze 14-year-old guard Mav Mesina when University of the East needed him most in the clutch.
  Mesina showcased his three-point shooting prowess in the final moments of the game, leading the Junior Warriors to a thrilling 79-70 comeback win over the De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
  His heroics preserved UE’s unbeaten record, now at 8-0, in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament.
  With less than two minutes left and the Junior Warriors clinging to a slim 71-69 lead, Mesina drained back-to-back triples, dashing the upset hopes of the Junior Archers.
  Before those clutch shots, the 5-foot-9 guard had missed three consecutive attempts from beyond the arc, but he didn’t let that affect his confidence when it mattered most.
  “Inisip ko lang na everyday sa practice, I work on those shots. Walang reason para hindi maging kumpyansa to shoot those shots because I work on them everyday,” shared Mesina, a product of Claret School of Quezon City.
  However, Mesina credited his teammates for their pivotal roles in UE’s fourth-quarter surge, noting that their collective effort made his clutch performance possible.
  After a sluggish first half left the Junior Warriors trailing for much of the game, they turned things around with a dominant 25-10 fourth-quarter run to fend off the Junior Archers’ challenge.
  “Binawi lang namin yung pagkakamali namin to start the game, especially yung first group namin, sobrang flat ng start namin. We talked it out noong halftime and decided na kami naman sa second half and magwork sa team,” the Malabon City native explained.
  Looking ahead, Mesina emphasized the need for UE to avoid slow starts, especially with title contender University of Santo Tomas next on their schedule.
  On the same day Mesina emerged as a hero, the UST Tiger Cubs relied on Jhon Canapi’s late-game brilliance to snap the four-game winning streak of the FEU-D Baby Tamaraws, claiming solo third place in the standings with a 5-3 record.
  “Yung flat start namin, hindi kami pwede magstart ng ganon since yung nilaro nga ng UST kanina grabe against FEU. Dagdag yun sa preparations namin and paghahandaan namin sila,” Mesina added.