Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
University of the East remained in Final Four contention after shocking University of Santo Tomas, 91-77, in the UAAP Season 78 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Red Warriors improved to 4-7 while the Growling Tigers, who are already in the Final Four, have now lost two of their last three games to fall to 9-3.
UE head coach Derrick Pumaren knew his team doesn’t have any room for error as it goes for an improbable run at the Final Four.
“We have to play with a sense urgency,” Pumaren said. “We have to dictate the tempo, we have to fight tooth-and-nail, toe-to-toe. UST is a good team and we know they can come back.”
A triple by Kevin Ferrer capped the Tigers’ 15-6 run that trimmed the Red Warriors’ lead down to two, 73-71, late in the fourth quarter before UE responded with a game-clinching 9-0 run.
UE had an unlikely hero in Clark Derige, who extinguished UST’s fire as he calmly sank his free throws from the line to give UE an 82-73 lead with 1:36 remaining in the game.
Derige was the man for UE as he led the Red Warriors with 26 points and six rebounds while Paul Varilla brushed off a poor 4-of-10 shooting and an embarrassing play by scoring on the wrong basket with a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double.
READ: UE’s Paul Varilla scores on UST’s basket
Chris Javier and Abanto also finished in double-figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Karim Abdul led UST with 25 points and 15 boards while Ed Daquioag, who shot a paltry 4-of-17 from the field, had 11 points, five rebounds, and six assists.