On fire: Ferrer scores 24 in 3rd quarter vs FEU

Kevin Ferrer like a man possessed. He scored 24 in the third quarter. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Kevin Ferrer shook off a forgetful first half showing with a third quarter to remember.

With University of Santo Tomas down nine, the graduation forward single-handedly carried the Growling Tigers back with 24 points in the third period.

Ferrer made 6-of-8 from long distance and scored UST’s first 17 points in the quarter, where the Tigers took a 47-41 buffer en route to a 62-56 win over Far Eastern University in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 78 men’s basketball Finals.

Ferrer said that he had a sense of what’s to come after sinking a couple of free throws that started his scoring binge.

“I got my confidence when I made my two free throws. I felt that my hands were hot,” Ferrer recalled. “My teammates were also looking for me.”

But it wasn’t a perfect quarter for Ferrer, who picked up his fourth foul with under a minute left.

Ferrer’s 24 points in one quarter beat Kiefer Ravena’s 21 first-quarter points in Ateneo’s win over National University in the elimination round and are the most since the league’s official stats provider, Imperium, took over in 2003.

READ: Heat check: Ravena fires 6 straight 3s, 21 points in 1st quarter vs NU

Before his outburst, Ferrer was off to only four points on 1-of-8 shooting in the first two quarters. He wound up with a career-high tying 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to boot.