NCAA: After twists and turns, Chris Hubilla finds winning moment in Mapua

Mapua Cardinals’ Chris Hubilla in Game 2 of the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball Finals. The Cardinals won the championship. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Chris Hubilla’s collegiate career didn’t start the way he envisioned it to be.

Coming out of San Beda’s high school program, Hubilla was a prospect eyed by several schools only for those talks to go down the drain.

As it turned out, those twists and turns would lead up to Hubilla’s sweetest moment at Mapua in the Cardinals’ ultimate triumph in the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament.

READ: NCAA: Mapua rookie Chris Hubilla torments former school

“When I was switching schools, I felt low and I really felt down. I even got bashed because of going from school to school,” said Hubilla after Mapua’s Game 2 win over College of St. Benilde in the NCAA Finals.

“Letran closed its doors on me. UP closed its doors on me and maybe this is the Lord’s real plan for me, which is to reach the championship.”

After Hubilla’s stellar season for the Red Cubs in 2023, the athletic forward opted to forgo his final season with San Beda and commit to University of the Philippines in the UAAP.

Mapua Cardinals’ Chris Hubilla in Game 2 of the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball Finals. The Cardinals won the championship. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

However, during his residency period with UP, Hubilla once more made the jump back to the NCAA, this time for Letran’s seniors’ basketball team.

READ: NCAA: Mapua coach urges rookie Chris Hubilla to play smarter

Even then, Hubilla wasn’t able to kickstart his collegiate career as he made the move to Mapua, permanently staying there and doing what he couldn’t do with San Beda in the boys’s basketball division.

“I went back to the moments where I started, back in the season where I cried a lot, I went back to watch that and I watched it every night. I didn’t want to cry anymore,” he said.

“I wanted to cry but only if we win the championship.”

Like a scenario set in stone, that’s exactly what happened for Hubilla and the Cardinals.

In Mapua’s title-clinching 94-82 win, Hubilla saved his best for last as he finished with 15 points and eight rebounds to help the Cardinals end a 33-year drought.

As Hubilla would put it, getting there after everything he had to endure before kickstarting his collegiate career was all worth it and he has his coaches to thank for.

“It’s not easy to win here but at the same time, we worked on this and we didn’t cheat how we got here and we got here because of our coaches.”