KARIM Abdul of UST (front) chases a loose ball off UP’s Paolo Romero and Alinko Mbah Abdul finished with 21 rebounds. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas made the most out of another late University of the Philippines meltdown, surging with a 16-0 run in the final quarter to hack out a 75-68 triumph in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament yesterday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Aljon Mariano and Jeric Fortuna fueled the huge comeback in just a three-minute span as the Tigers took a 70-59 advantage after playing catch up most of the game.
“The will to win was there, especially in the last quarter,” said coach Pido Jarencio after his Tigers—who moved just half a game behind league leader Ateneo at 9-3—secured at least a playoff for a Final Four slot.
Far Eastern University also outlasted a pumped-up University of the East side, 83-78, just a day after the Tamaraws’ absorbed a boardroom loss.
Terrence Romeo unloaded 24 points, including back-to-back triples that gave the Tamaraws a 75-64 buffer after the Warriors had trimmed their double-digit lead to 69-64.
FEU had shared the second spot with UST, but wound up third at 8-3 after the UAAP board on Friday nullified the Tamaraws’ 77-75 win over National University, where RR Garcia nailed a contentious buzzer-beater.
The FEU-NU game replay had been set on Sept. 23.
Roger Pogoy also collected 17 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks for the Tamaraws.
The Tamaraws ended the Warriors’ magical two-game run where Chris Javier buried two consecutive game-winners in back-to-back shockers, the last over four-time champion Ateneo.
The Tigers, capitalizing on the Maroons’ turnovers in the endgame, completed three straight three-point plays before Mariano drilled seven straight markers that put them up, 70-59, after a 54-59 deficit.
“It just happened so fast,” said Jarencio. “These players are really like diesel.”
The Maroons, who had figured in several endgame collapse this season, skidded to 1-11, while the also-ran Warriors fell to 3-9.
The scores:
First Game
UST 75—Mariano 16, Abdul 16, Fortuna 11, Teng 10, Bautista 9, Ferrrer 4, Daquioag 3, Vigil 2. Pe 2, Lo 2, Haingan 0, Afuang 0.
UP 68—Montecastro 17, Silungan 14, Soyud 11, Ball 6, Lopez 6, Romero 5, Manuel 5, Padilla 2, Hipolito 2. Mbah 0, Wong 0, Gamboa 0, Asilum 0.
Quarters: 20-14, 35-38, 46-53, 75-68
Second Game
FEU 83—Romeo 24, Pogoy 17, Garcia 12, Escoto 8, M. Bringas 8, Iñigo 4, Mendoza 4, Belo 4, Cruz 2, Hargrove 0.
UE 78—Sumang 27, Belleza 18, Sumido 11, Javier 9, Santos 4, Hernandez 4, Olayon 3, Flores 2, Galanza 0, Duran 0.
Quarters: 18-23, 46-38, 69-59, 83-78