UAAP: Kyle Paranada helps UST halt 3-game skid

UST rookie Kyle Paranada against FEU in UAAP Season 87.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Kyle Paranada played his best game for University of Santo Tomas and helped the Growling Tigers snap out of their slump in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.

Paranada caught fire in the second half, where he scored all of his 13 points in a 79-70 victory over Far Eastern University on Sunday. He also scored or assisted the last 17 UST points in the fourth quarter.

“My teammates trust me to shoot the ball and my coaches as well. So that’s what they wanted me to do: Score the ball and create plays,” said the spitfire guard, who shot 5-of-6 from the field and finished with two assists in just 14:37 of action. “That’s what I did. My teammates trust me and just give it to my teammates.”

READ: UAAP: UST gets back on track with win over FEU

Nic Cabañero and Kyle Paranada on ending their skid. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/srDhtHU3pe

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) October 27, 2024

“We lost three in a row and this is our first win in the second round so it’s a good win for our momentum,” Paranada added. “We all learned from the losses. We just took those losses as learning experiences.”

After a 3-1 start, the Tigers lost four of their next five games including three consecutive defeats to open the second round after losing to last year’s finalists La Salle and University of the Philippines and Ateneo in a game held at UST’s Quadricentennial Pavilion last week.

With a 5-6 record at No. 4, Paranada, a transferee guard from the University of the East, hopes to make his Final Four appearance and end the school’s five-year drought.

Paranada and the Tigers are not looking too far ahead as they take on NU on November 6 after a long break.

“One game at a time. We can’t just look at the future games. Next game, we got to focus on that and follow coach Pido’s gameplan,” Paranada said.