UE’s Luis Villegas celebrates during a game against UST in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—University of the East banked on a dizzying third-quarter blitz and the ejection of Adama Faye to topple University of the Santo Tomas, 78-68, on Sunday at the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.
Luis Villegas had 17 points and 13 rebounds in a breakout performance, but it was the needed spark from Frederic Antiporda in the third that propelled the Red Warriors to notch their second straight win.
“I’m grateful to my teammates. They were persistent with me. I just let the game come and it worked out,” said Villegas after the Warriors moved up in a tie at fourth with the 3-2 La Salle Green Archers.
After swishing a pair of threes, Antiporda’s fadeaway jumper widened the gap that the Warriors protected before Faye compounded matters for the Growling Tigers.
Faye elbowed Harvey Pagsanjan on the head in a rebound, prompting the referees to throw the UST big man out of the court late in the third with UE ahead by six.
Without the threat of a Faye around the rim, it was never the same again for the Growling Tigers.
They fell into a deficit the Tigers weren’t able to manage and couldn’t charge back after that to absorb a fourth straight defeat after winning the season-opener against the Adamson Falcons.
Nic Cabanero made five of his 17 attempts from the field to finish with 19 points apart from pulling down 14 rebounds, expending more energy on both ends as the Tigers tried to make up for Faye’s absence to no avail.
The Scores:
UE 78 — Villegas 17, N. Paranada 17, Antiporda 13, Stevens 11, Pagsanjan 5, Payawal 5, K. Paranada 4, Sawat 4, Abatayo 2, Beltran 0, Remogat 0, Guevarra 0, Alcantara 0, Langit 0, Lingo-lingo 0.
UST 68 — Cabanero 19, Lazarte 12, Faye 11, Manalang 9, Pangilinan 8, Manaytay 5, Duremdes 2, Calimag 1, Mantua 1, Garing 0, Herrera 0.
Quarters: 10-13, 28-29, 55-49, 78-68.