Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
University of Santo Tomas boosted its bid for a Final Four slot after topping University of the East, 79-68, in the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tournament Sunday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Growling Tigers, who won four in their last five games, improved to a 5-5 record to momentarily tie University of the Philippines, which faces Adamson University later in fourth.
The Growling Tigers trailed, 29-23, midway through the second quarter before Marvin Lee went berserk, scoring 12 points during a 16-2 UST run.
It was Lee that punctuated the offensive hunt with an open three for the Growling Tigers’ 39-31 lead with less than a minute left in the first half.
“We played good defense and for us everything starts when we make defensive stops,” said UST head coach Aldin Ayo.
UE, meanwhile, dropped lost its sixth straight game to stay at the bottom of the standings with a 1-10 record.
Rookie CJ Cansino made history when he became the first freshman in recent memory to complete a triple-double in the UAAP’s collegiate ranks.
Cansino achieved the feat with 51.1 seconds left in the game when he found the cutting Zach Huang for the easy layup that gave UST a 74-62 lead and gave him, at that time, a stat line of 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.
As Cansino filled up stat sheets, Lee went mental in the offensive end and had a career-high of 30 points on 8-of-18 shooting all of which came from the three-point area.
Cansino eventually finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists while his recipient Huang pitched in 14 points and seven rebounds.
Alvin Pasaol led the Red Warriors with 26 points, seven rebounds, and three steals while Philip Manalang added 15 points, four rebounds, and eight assists.